
Driving
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man
ually select gears .
Fig . 1 12 Center console: s hift ing t he gears manually
F ig. 11 3 Steering wheel: Shift padd les•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tipt ron ic mode can be selected e it h er with
the vehicle stationary or on the
move.
• Pu sh the selector lever to t he right from D/S.
u, N
N
N
" ll1
An M appears in the i nstr ume nt cl uster d isp lay
as soon as the t ransm iss ion has shifted.
• To upshift, push the selector lever forward to
the plus posit ion
G) ¢ fig. 112 .
• To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 .
Gear selection with shift paddl es*
The shif t paddles are activated when the se lector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro
gram .
• To upshift, touch the but ton on the right
G)
¢fig. 113.
• To downshift, touch the button on the left 0-
• If you do not press a shift paddle within a short
t ime whi le in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep sh ift ing
98
using the shift paddles, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position.
The tra nsmissron auto matica lly s hifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached.
The tra nsmiss ion on ly allows manual sh ifting
whe n the engine speed is w ith in the permit ted
range.
(D Tips
- When you shift into t he next lowe r gear, the
t ransmiss ion will downshift on ly when the re
is no possibili ty of over-revving the engi ne.
- Whe n the ki ck-down comes on, the trans
mission w ill shif t down to a lowe r gear, de
pend ing o n ve hicl e and engine speeds.
- Ti ptroni c is inoperat ive when the transm is
sion is in the fail-safe mode.
- Hyb rid drive*: elect ric dr iving is not po ssib le
in t ipt ronic mode.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, the a utomat ic transmiss ion
downshifts into a lower gear, depending on vehi
cl e speed and engine speed. The upsh ift into the
next highe r gear takes p lace on ce t he maxim um
spec ified eng ine speed is reached .
A.::!!.ARNING
-Please no te that t he drive wheels can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth slippe ry road -
there is a risk of skidd ing.
Transmission malfunction
ml Tran smission: Pre ss brake pedal and select
gear again.
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se
l ector lever position again. Yo u can then conti nue
driv ing.
ml Transmission o verheating: Plea se dri ve con-
servatively . .,,.

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Driving situa -
tion s
Constant driving
and coasting
(gliding)
Energy recovery
(recupe ration)
Driving in city
traffic
Driving on high-
ways and ex- pressways
Driving in cold
weather
Cond itions
- Cautious driving and reserved ac-
celeration.
- Release the accelerator pedal early
and entirely .
- Brake early and evenly with short
pedal movements .
- Reserved acce leration and early
and even braking with short pedal
movements.
- Use the
!<=!VI button sparingly .
- Intentionally take your foot off of
the gas pedal to allow for lengthy
coast ing .
- Reduce the vehicle speed by re-
leasing the acce le rato r peda l and
not by b raking.
- Avoid vehicle speeds above ap-
proximately 99 mph (160 km/h).
- Use the 5 selector lever position
and tiptronic mode sparingly .
- Do not run the combustion erngine
while the vehicle is parked to warm
the engine.
- Use the rear window/exter ior mir-
ror defroster and the seat heating
sparingly .
- Park the vehicle in a garage over-
night.
H yb ri d
Vehicle behav ior
The kinetic energy of the vehicle is used to
move the vehicle .
When you release the accelerator pedal en-
tirely, the combustion engine turns off auto-
mat ica lly and is disengaged. The vehicle
g lides without being propelled .
The electric motor brakes the vehicle . By do-
ing this, a large amount of the kinetic energy
is recovered and may be stored in the h igh
voltage battery in the form of electric energy .
The kinetic energy of the vehicle is used to
move the vehicle .
The battery dra ins quickly when the
!<=!VI but -
ton is turned on, which can increase fuel con-
sumpt ion because electric driv ing is given
priority, even if driv ing with the combustion
engine on wo uld be more efficient.
When you release the accelerator pedal en-
tirely, the combustion engine turns off auto- mat ically and is disengaged . The vehicle
g lides without being propelled .
F ue l consumption can be reduced by coast-
i ng.
It is possible to coast up to a vehicle speed of
approximately 99 mph (160 km/h).
A sporty driving style increases fue l con-
sumption .
The temperature of the combustion engine
rises very s lowly and the fuel consumption in-
creases considerably.
This conserves the energy in the high voltage
battery so that it is available to run the vehi-
cle in electr ic mode .
This reduces exposure of the high voltage
battery to cold temperat ures . The required
temperature range for the high voltage bat-
tery will then be reached more quickly after
you sta rt driving .
105

Intelligent Technology
Intelligent Technology
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) reinfor
ces driver safety . It reduces the risk of slipping
and improves driving stability. ESC detects crit i
cal s ituations such as the vehicle oversteering
and understeering or the wheels sp inning. The
veh icle is stab ilized by applying the brakes or re
ducing engine torque . Once t he ESC is active, the
indicator light
Ji) blinks in t he instrument clus
ter.
The fo llow ing systems are integrated in the ESC :
Ant i-loc k brake system (ABS)
ABS preve nts the wheels from locking up when
braking. The veh icle can still be steered even dur
ing hard brak ing. Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump t he pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help
i n g you to brake the vehicle .
Br ake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing dis
tance . It increases braking power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit
uations . You must press and hold the b rake pedal
until the situa tion is over. In vehicles w it h adap
tive c ruise contro l* , the brake assist system is
mo re sensit ive if the di stance de te cte d to the ve
h icle ahead is too small.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin to spin and adapts t he force to the road
conditions . This makes it easie r to sta rt, acceler
ate and dr ive up h ills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes w heels that a re spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other whee ls .
This f unction is not avai lab le at higher speeds.
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
186
overheating . EDL will sw itch on again automati
ca lly when conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC he lps to s tabilize the vehicle by chang ing
t h e s teer ing torque.
On vehicles with dynam ic steeri ng*, ESC helps
stab ilize the steer ing in crit ica l sit uat io ns.
Selective wheel torque control
Se lective wheel torque cont rol is used when driv
i ng on curves. The front whee l on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the cu rve are braked se lectively as needed. This al
l ows mo re precise dr iving in c urves . The applica
ble system may not ac tiv ate when d riving in wet
o r snowy cond it ions.
_&. WARNING
- The ESC and i ts in teg ra ted systems can not
overcome the laws of physics . This is espe
cially important on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin act ing to stab ilize your
veh icle, you should immediately change
your speed to match the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the increased safety
provided by t hese systems tempt yo u to
take risks. Doing so will i ncrease the r isk of
a loss of vehicle con trol, collisi on and se ri
ous person al injur ies.
- Always a dapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather condi tions. The risk of los ing c on
t rol of the vehicle in creases w hen driving
too fast, es pecially through curves and on
slippe ry or wet roads, and when driving too
close to ve hicles up ahead. The ESC and its
integ rated systems cannot always prevent
col lisions - there is still a risk of accidents!
- Always accelerate w ith special care on even,
smooth su rfaces s uch as those that are wet
or covered wit h ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even w it h these assistance
sys tems t hat cannot a lways help to reduce
t he risk of loss of vehicle co ntro l.

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-Before descending a steep grade , reduce
speed and shift transm iss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and d iminish brak ing efficiency .
- Do not "r ide the brakes" by resting your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
bra ke. This may cause the bra kes to over
heat , premat ure wea r and increased stop
ping distance.
- Under certa in climat ic and operating condi
tions su ch as p assing thro ugh w ater, dr iving
in heavy ra in or after washing the vehicle,
the ef fectiveness of the brakes can be re
duced. In winter, ice can acc umulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care
fully apply b rakes for a test. Brakes wi ll dry
and ice coatings wi ll be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
bra kes can also affect bra king efficiency .
Clean off accumulated sa lt coating from
bra ke discs and pads with a few caref ul
bra ke appl ic a tion s.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if yo u in
sta ll a differen t spoi le r, be sure the air flow
to the front br akes is not o bstru cte d. O the r
wise the br ake system could over heat reduc
ing the e ffec tiveness of the entire brake sys
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will imp air the
brak ing capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance . Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest a uthorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not wor king, the
brake pedal m ust be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance .
Intelligent Technology
Electromechanical power
assist, Dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering .
Power steering adap ts elec tronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and message s
• Steering defecti ve! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indi ca to r li ght tur ns on and st ays on and
t hi s message appea rs, the powe r steering may
have failed.
Stop t he vehi cle in a safe location as soon as pos
s ible. Do
not cont inue drivi ng. See yo ur author
ized Audi dea ler or o ther qualif ied repa ir facility
for assistance .
l;rij Dynamic steering : Sy stem fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appea rs , the steer ing may be more diffic ult to
move o r more sensitive than usu a l. Th e steering
m ay also be at an angle when dr iving st raig ht.
D rive slowly to your a uthorized Aud i dea le r or
qualified wo rksh op to have t he malfunct io n cor
rec ted .
'Iij Dynamic steering: Initializing
Aud i drive select* : if the indicato r light blinks and
the driver message appears, the dynamic steer
ing* is re init ia liz ed . After sta rting the engine , the
steering wheel will move slig htly . Re -initializa
t io n m ight be necessary if the steer ing whee l was
moved hard to t he left and r ight wh ile the veh icle
was not mov ing. The display turns off if the initi
aliza tion was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or l~ij indicato r light only stays on
for a shor t time, you m ay cont inue drivi ng.
- The dynam ic stee ring* sta bility systems
r=;, page 186 are no t ava ilable in the event of
a system mal func tio n.
- For add itiona l information on dy namic
steering*
r=;, page 122 .
191

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ignition switched off, it controls the energy sup
ply to the various electrical components . Data
from battery diagnosis is considered.
Depending on the battery 's state of charge, ind i
vid ual consumers are gradually turned off to pre
ve nt excessive discharge of the battery and thus
maintain starting capability.
Dynamic en ergy management
Wh ile the veh icle is being driven , dynamic energy
management dist ributes the energy ge nerated
according to the needs of the individua l compo
nents . It regulates consumption, so that more
e lectrical energy is not being used than is being
generated and ensures an optimal state of
charge for the battery.
- But even energy management cannot neg
ate the limits of physics. Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, the indica
tor light (•] appears
¢ page 30 .
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining start
ing capability .
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the co ld time of
year. Abundant electrical energy is required, but only a little is generated . It is also crit ica l if the
engine is not runn ing and electrical components
are turned on . In this instance energy is being
consumed but none is being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will no
tice energy management actively regulat ing the
d istr ibution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended p eriod
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or sw itched off. This reduces
energy consumption and ma inta ins starting ca
pability over a longer pe riod . Some of the con
ve nience funct ions may not operate, suc h as the
inte rior ligh ts or the powe r seat adjustment. The
Intellig ent Technology
convenience functions will be availab le aga in
when you switch on the ignition and sta rt the en
gine.
With the engine turn ed off
If you listen to the rad io, for examp le, with the
engi ne turned off or use other
MM I* functions,
the battery is being discharged .
If s tarting capab ility is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the rad io or
MM I* disp lay. The message indica tes that the
system will be switched off automatically in a
moment . If you wish to continue using the func
t ions, you have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although e lectr ic al energy is generated when t he
vehicle is being driven, the batte ry can become
discharged. This happens mostly when litt le en
ergy is being generated and a great dea l con
sumed and the battery's state of charge is not
optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibr i
um, consumers whic h require especia lly large
amounts of energy are temporari ly cut back or
switched off. Heating systems in particular re
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice, for ex
ample, that the heated seats* or the heated rear
window a re not heati ng, they have bee n tempo
rarily cut bac k or switched off . T hese systems will
be available again as soon as the ene rgy balance
has been restored.
You w ill also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased s light ly. This is no rma l and not a
ca use for concern. By increas ing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is genera t
ed and the battery is charged.
193

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-Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During dr iv ing, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
Q) Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously degrade
t h e pe rformance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine o il level
c:> page 221.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
catalytic conve rte r to overheat.
- Do not tur n off the ignition whi le the vehicle
i s mov ing.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un
der these cond it ions, as otherwise fuel can
r each the catalytic converte r. This cou ld re
su lt in ove rheating of the converte r, req uir
i ng its replacement.
- To assu re efficient operation of the Emis
s ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the em ission control system
and co uld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Em ission Control System is op
erat ing properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op
erat ing states. This depends on the su lfu r
conten t of the fuel being used. Using a differ
ent brand of fue l may he lp, or filling the tan k
with lead -free s uper grade gasoline.
Driving and the envir onment
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to : veh icles w ith diesel en gine
The diese l particu late filter filters near ly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automatica lly under norma l driving
condit ions. If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex
amp le, because you are only driving short distan
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the m symbol for the d iesel part icu late filter il
luminates
c:> page 31 .
_&. WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammab le
mate ria ls s uch as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu
late filter cou ld start a fi re.
-
- Do not app ly an underbody pro te ctant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could sta rt .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low
ly ing parts such as spo ilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is especially true for vehicles with low-s lung
chassis (sports chass is)* and fully loaded
vehicles.
Economical and environ
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels .
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and wear
o n your engine, brakes and tires large ly depend
on three factors :
- your pe rsonal d riving s tyle
- operat ing cond itions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
195

Driving and th e en vironm ent
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi
ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depend ing upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc .
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating .
"'Avo id unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel
erate less . Let the vehicle coast whenever possi
ble -for example when you see that the next traf
fic light is red .
Avoid full throttle
Driving a t moderate speeds saves fuel and im
proves your mileage .
"'Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gent ly reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ
ment.
Fue l cons umption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase d isproportionately at high speeds .
If you drive at approximately three q uarters of
top speed, fuel consumpt ion w ill be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
196
· Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven 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
vehicles with the Start-Stop-System*. It is effi c ient to sw itch off the engine in vehicles without
the Start-Stop-System* when stopped at ra ilroad
cross ings and long red lights. Turning the engine
off fo r just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
bur ned by s tarting the engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is runn ing at id le . However, wea r
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warming up . So yo u should dr ive
away as soon as you sta rt the eng ine and avo id
running at hig h rpms whi le the engine is st ill
warming up .
Q) Note
Do not leave eng ine idling una ttended after
starting. If warning lights shou ld come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also prod uces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper
ty .
· Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel .
"' Have your vehicle serviced at regular interva ls.
By having your vehicle regular ly serv iced by an
authorized Audi dea le r helps to ensure that it
r uns prope rly and economically . The condition of
your vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fuel consump
t ion .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amou nt o f oi l used is related to engine load
and speed. ..,

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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 vehicle abo ut 3,000 miles
(5,000 k ilometers) before you can proper ly as
sess oi l cons umption.
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
ou tput.
(y Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordan ce with the servi ce recommend a
tions in yo ur Warranty
& Ma intenance book
l et. Lack of proper maintenance as well as
i mproper use of the vehicle will impair the
funct ion of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Em ission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter or remove any device, such as
heat shie lds, sw itches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Em ission Control System and other
i mportant vehicle components .
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
.. Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
engine.
The engine and catalyt ic converter have to reach
their optimal
ope rating temperature to reduce
fuel consumption and noxious emissions effec
t ively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size car
only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles per
ga llon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a half a
mile, fuel economy cl imbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km). After about
2 .5 miles (4 km), the engine is
at its proper operating temperature and fuel
economy has reac hed a norma l level. So you can
see that you sho uld avo id short t rips w henever
possib le.
Driving and the envir onment
The out side tempe rature is a lso crit ica l in this re
gard . Your car consumes more fuel in the winter
than in the summer .
197