Driving
Sel ector l ev e r lo ck
The se lector lever lock prevents you from se lect
ing a position unintentionally, causing the vehicle
to ro ll. When engaging some selector lever posi
tions, you must press th e locking button
CD on
the selecto r lever and/or press the brake pedal
¢fig. 92.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a se
lector lever position when the engine is running
and the vehicle is stationary.
You do not have to press the brake peda l if you
shift from a drive gear (D/S) to reverse gear
(R)
w ithin one second. This allows you to "rock" the
veh icle to free it when it is stuck .
P - Park
This se lector lever posi tion p revents the vehi cle
from rolling . Only shift into park when the vehi
cle is stationary ¢.&. . To select the P se lector lev
er position, press th e P button @on the selector
lever ¢
fig. 92. P appears next to the selector lev
er.
You can on ly shift out of park when the engine is
r u nning and you are pr ess ing the brake p edal. To
release the parking lock, press the brake peda l,
press the locking button
CD on the selector lever
and select the desired pos it ion ¢
fig. 92 .
P engag es automatically if you switch the engine
off while the selector lever is in D, E, S, R or man
ual mode.
If you switch the engine off when the N se lector
lever position is select ed, the transmission re
mains in N for approximately
30 minutes and
then Pis engaged. The vehicle is not secured
from rolling in the N selector lever position, so
you need to set the parking brake<®>¢
page 87.
You must use the parking lock emergency release
before towing the vehicle¢
page 96.
R- Reve rse
The reverse gear is engaged in this pos ition . On ly
select reverse gear when the vehicle is stationary
and the engine is running at idle speed¢.&. . To
engage the R selector lever pos ition, press the
92
brake peda l, press the locking button CD on the
se lector lever and select the R position ¢
fig. 92.
A confirm ation tone will sound when the reverse
gear is engaged.
N -Neutral (idle )
The transmission is in idle in th is position. To en
gage the
N selector lever position, press the lock
i ng button
CD on the selector lever and sh ift into
the
N pos ition ¢ fig. 92 .
If you switch the eng ine off when the N selector
l ever posit io n is selected, the transm iss ion re
mai ns in
N for approx imately 30 minutes and
then Pis engaged.
You cannot se lect the
N pos ition when the igni
tion is switched off . When dr iv ing through an au
tomat ic car wash, fi rst select the
N position and
then turn the eng ine off.
For safety reasons , the veh icle cannot be locked
when the t ransmiss ion is in the
N pos it ion .
D/S - Driving forward
When the transm ission is in the D/S posit ion, it
can be operated either in the normal D mode or
i n the S sport mode . Move the selector lever back
to engage the S sport mode. You ca n only select
the S selector lever position when the Dor E pos i
tion is se lected. To select the Dor E position
again w hen S is engaged, move the selector lever
ba ck ¢ .&. . To sh ift from N to D when traveling at
speeds below 1 mph (2 km/h), press the brake pedal and shift into the D position¢.&. .
In the
n o rmal mode D, the transmission auto
matically selects the suitable gear ratio. It de
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driving
style.
Se lec t the
sport mode S for spo rty d riving. The
vehicle makes f ull use of the engine 's power.
Shifting may become noticeable when accelerat
ing .
The S se lec to r lever posit io n engages automat i
ca lly when you select
Dynamic mode in d rive se -
l ect* . .,.
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.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac
tivate the tra ile r operation mode
¢page 100.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trai ler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your ve hicle 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 chec k w it h t he t rail
er hitch man ufactur er to make s ure t hat you a re
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch m ust be installed i n such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper sys tem . N o mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck t hat all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely faste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca using damage shou ld your veh icle be
s truck from behind¢ &..
98
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped wi th a bra king sys tem,
c h ec k t o be sure that it con forms to all regu la
tions.
The trailer hydrau lic br ake system mus t not be
directly connecte d to the vehicle's hydr auli c
brake system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor
r ect wir ing , sw itches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us
i ng the regular outs ide mirrors, then you
must in
stall extended mirro rs. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
A WARNING
-
- After remov ing the tra iler hitch, do not
sto re it in your vehicle . In case of sud den
braking , th e hitch co uld fl y forwar d and i n
jure you o r yo ur passenge rs.
- I f a tra ile r has e lectr ica l brakes p lease no te
t h at the se brakes are not ac tivated by the
fact ory-fi tted contro l uni t - r isk of accident!
- N ever i nst all a "we igh t distribut ing" or
"lo ad equ alizing" trailer hi tch o n yo ur veh i
cle. The vehicle was not desig ned fo r these
kinds of trailer hitches. The hitch attach
ment can fai l, ca us ing the tra iler to tear
loose from the vehicle .
- The Gross Veh icle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance la
be l on the driver's s ide B -pillar, m ust never
be exceeded under any circumstances. Ex
ceed ing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rati ng of
your veh icle is likely to damage yo ur vehicle,
and such damage will not be covered by
your Limi te d N ew Vehicle War ranty. Exceed
ing the G ros s Ve hicl e W eight Ratin g will al-
so ch ange the pe rform ance and ha ndling .,._
u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: '
cause a crash resulting in serious injury or
death.
Operating instructions
Trailer towing weights
The maximum permissible unbraked trailer
weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
The maximum permissible braked trailer weight
is:
- Q7 2.0: 5,500 lbs (2,500 kg)
- Q7 3 .0: 7,700 lbs (3,500 kg)
These specifications apply when driving on roads having an incline of less than 12% .
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower . You can get an approximation of
the tongue load with a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
The maximum permissible load on the ball hitch may not exceed:
- Q7 2.0: 550 lbs (250 kg)
- Q7 3 .0: 770 lbs (350 kg)
It is recommended to use the maximum permis
sible load. Please also observe the information
¢page 343, ¢page 347.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Messages on page 100.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suitable ball mount and ball. Installation of the hitch ball
must be carried out in accordance with the manu
facturer's instructions .
Trailer towing
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the label <:!;>
page 343. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle .
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Setting drive select(air suspension)*
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight. The driving mode must be in
Au
to or Comfort ¢page 134, ¢ (D
If you would like to drive in the Dynamic driving
mode, then you must select this mode before
hitching the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight. Please note that your vehicle will
lower and the ground clearance is reduced.
If you have to drive through difficult road condi
tions, you can raise the vehicle again after hitch
ing the trailer or after adjusting the tongue
weight
¢ page 136.
(D Note
Vehicles with air suspension*:
99
Trailer towing
- Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle .
- Always se lect
Auto or Comfort mode. Ot h
erwise, the tongue load specified for your
vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Messages
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car res ults
i n a hig hly unstable dist ribution of weight. If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at ve ry low speeds o nly
to avoid the risk of lo sing s teeri ng con trol.
A "balanced" rig is eas ie r to operate and cont rol.
T his means that the tow veh icle should be loaded
to the exte nt poss ible a nd permiss ible , while
keep ing the tra ile r as lig ht as possib le unde r th e
circumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the l uggage compa rtment of the
tow vehicle whi le observ ing tongue load req uire
ments and ve hicle loading considerat ions.
Speed
T he higher the spee d, the more d ifficult i t be
comes for the drive r to co ntro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or w ind
conditions a re unfavorable -part icularly when
going downhill.
Re du ce veh icle spee d
immediately if the trai le r
shows the s lightest sign o f swaying.
Do not try
to stop the sway ing by accele rating .
Observe speed lim its. In some areas, speeds for
ve hicles towing trai lers are lower than for reg ular
veh icles.
A lways app ly b rakes early. When dr iv ing down
hi ll, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to ove rheat and fail.
Air suspension*
If you are connecting a trailer to a fa cto ry -ins tal
led trai ler hitch, trai ler mode a utomat ic all y
switches on in the ai r suspensio n. This will limit
the reg ulation by the a ir s usp ension whi le dr iv -
100
ing . If you want to swi tch off tra iler mode wh ile
driving, for example when using a bicycle rack system, se lect in the Infota inment system :
IM ENUI button> Vehicle > left control button>
Vehicle settings > Air suspension: trailer .
If the vehicle has a retrofitte d tra iler hitc h, the
trailer mo de might not switch on automatically .
In this case, switch the tra iler mode on before
hitc hing the tra iler and switch it off after un
hitc hing the tra ile r.
Coolant tempe rature
The coo lant tempe rat ure gauge c:::> page 11 m ust
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive o n long inclines in a low
gear at high eng ine speeds. Reduce your speed
i mmediately if the LEDs in the top part of the d is
play turn on .
Fo r more information about indicator lights, re
fer to.
c:;, page 26.
A WARNING
Anyone not prope rly res trained in a moving
v e hicle is a t a much greater risk in an acci
d ent. Never l et anyon e ride in your car who is
n ot prope rly we aring the rest rain ts provide d
by Au di.
Trailer towing
information
' Important to know
-
You r vehicle handles d ifferently when towing a
t railer becau se o f th e ad dit iona l we igh t and dif
f erent we igh t d istribu tion. S afety, per forman ce
and eco nomy will g reatly depend on how caref ul
l y you load your trai ler and operate yo ur rig .
B efo re yo u ac tually tow yo ur trailer, pra ct ice
tu rning, s to p ping and b acking up in an are a away
from traffic. Keep pra ct icing u nti l yo u h ave be
come comp lete ly familiar w ith the way yo ur vehi
cle-tra ile r combination behaves and responds .
Bac king up is diff icul t and requ ires pra ctice.
Backing up w ith a trailer genera lly req uires steer
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle witho ut a t railer .
Ass is tance sy stems
Assistance systems
Electronic speed Limiter
Your v ehicle may be factory equipped with tires
that are rated for a maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the maximum sp eed
of your vehicle . To reduce the risk of sudden tire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operat ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electronic speed limiter . The electronic speed
lim iter prevents your vehicle from going faster
than the t ire speed rating. For mo re information
<=> page 333.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed s ignals , the Malfunction Indicator
L amp (MIL)
¢..ffi will illumina te . If this occurs,
con tact the nearest au thorized A ud i dealer for
assistance.
_& WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust you r speed to suit prevailing road, traf
fic and weather conditions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than the maximum speed rating
of the tires installed .
Speed warning system
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay be
low a specified maximum speed that can be set,
changed or deleted in the Infotainment system.
-
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
A wa rning tone will sound as soon as you r speed
ex ceeds the s tored v alue s light ly. Th e indicato r
light also turns on in the instrument cluster dis
p lay
ct] (USA models)/ [SJ (Canada models) and
a message . The indicator light
(CJ / [SJ and the
message turn off if the speed falls back be low
the stored maximum speed.
Se tting a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gene r-
102
al speed limit or if there is a spec ified maximum
speed for winter tires.
Setting the warning threshold
Se lect in the Infotainment system: I M EN U I but
ton
> Vehicle > left co ntro l bu tton > Driver as sis
tance
> Speed warning > Manu al.
(D Tips
Regardless of the speed warning sys tem, you
shou ld alw ays mo nitor your speed using the
speedometer and make sure yo u are fo llow ing
the lega l speed limit.
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control sys tem makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at
15 mph
(20kmlh) .
0
f
~
0
Fig. 9 6 Operat ing lever : cru ise co ntro l sys te m
.,. To switch the system on , pu ll the lever into po -
sition
(D <=> fig. 96 .
.. Drive at the speed to be mai ntained.
.. To store the speed, press the button @.
The stored speed and the
ftji(l)~14 (USA models) I
l'I (Cana da models) indicator light appear in the
instrument cluster display. An additional indica
tor appears in the head-up display *.
The speed is maintained by modifying engine power or through an active brake intervention.
A WARNING
- Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise control system is in
-
u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: '
your speed and the distance between your
vehicle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, cruise control should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traffic, on
winding roads and when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and
hydroplaning), because th is increases the
risk of an accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporar ily
when driving in turn ing lanes, h ighway exits
o r in construction zones.
- Please note that unconsciously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal prevents the cruise control from b raking. This is be
ca use p ressing the acce le ra to r peda l ove r
rides the cruise contro l system.
- If a brake system ma lf u nction such as over
heating occurs when the c ruise contro l sys
tem is switched on, the braking function in
the system may be switched off . The rest of
the cruise control system functions remain act ive as long as the
@;\l)Mj (USA models) /
Bl (Canada models) indicator light is on.
Before driving downhill a long distance on a
steep hill, decrease your speed and select a
lower gear. Th is makes use of the eng ine
braking effect and relieves the brakes.
(D} Tips
The brake lights turn on when the brakes are app lied a utomat ically.
Changing the speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
.,. To increase/decrease the speed in 1 mph (1
km/h) increments, br iefly
tap the lever toward
0 10 ¢ page 102, fig. 96 to the first level.
.,. To inc rease/decrease the speed in 5 mph (10
km/h) i ncrements, br iefly
tap the lever toward
0 10 to t he second level.
.,. To increase or decrease the speed quickly,
hold
the lever toward 0 10 to the first or second
level until the desired speed is reached .
Ass ista nce sys te m s
Overriding the speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
You can press the acce le rato r pedal to increase
you r speed, for ex ample if you want to pass
someone . The speed you set ear lier will resume
as soon as you release the acce lerator pedal.
However, if you are exceeding the stored speed
by a considerable amount fo r a long time, the
c ruise contro l system will tempora rily switch off.
The
1Q;jl )~ij (USA mode ls) 1111 (Canada mode ls) in
dicator light in the instrument cluster turns
off
and the stored speed is maintained.
Preselecting a speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
You can pre-select your desired speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
.,. Switch the ignit ion on.
.,. Pull the lever into position
(D ¢ page 102,
fig.
96.
.,. To increase or decrease the speed, tap the lever
toward
0 10 .
This function makes it possible, fo r example, to
save the speed you want before driving on the
highway. Once you are on the expressway, acti
vate the cruise control system by pulling the lev er into position
(D .
Switching off
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
Deact ivating temporarily
.,. Press the brake pedal, or
.,. Press the lever toward @(not locked into
p lace)
¢ page 102, fig . 96.
Switching off completely
.,. Press the lever into position @(clicked into
place), or
.,. Switch the ignit ion off .
The speed you stored will be maintained if the cruise contro l has been switched off temporarily .
To resume the stored speed, release the brake pedal and pull the lever to position
(D . .,.
103
Assistance systems
save fuel. The system accesses predictive trip da
ta (including speed limits, inclines and the radius
of c urves) from the navigat ion system* . Informa
tion from the camera-based traff ic sign recogn i
tion* is also applied to recognize traffic signs
,:::;,page 104 .
The messages displayed depend on the naviga
tion data* being up-to-date and the correct iden
tification by the traffic sign recognition*.
When adaptive cruise contro l* is switched off,
the predictive efficiency ass ist only provides noti
f ications without controlled interventions. When
adapt ive cruise control* is switched on, the sys
tem responds to upcoming situations automati
cally .
Vehicles with adaptive cruise control*
Refer to predictive control c::;, page 113.
Indicator in the instrument cluster display
Predictive messages appear in the instrument
cluster display to show the driver the appropriate
time to coast when a situation ahead requires
you to drive at a lower speed.
The messages are only shown if the cr uise control
system* or adaptive cruise contro l* is switched
off.
An additional indicat or appears in the head-up
display* .
Symbol Meaning
Remove your foot from the acceler-
~
ator pedal to slow down, because
there is a situat ion ahead that re-
quires a lower speed.
If you see
Driver assistance in the inst rument
cluster display, the following symbo ls wi ll indi
cate which situation the system is currently re
acting to.
Symbol Meaning
USA models:
MPH Speed limit
km/h
Canada models :
Speed limit
106
Symbol Meaning
_J!L Intersection
,ir
~ T raffic circle .. Of );
If there are multiple situations, then these situa
tions will appear in order in the display .
.8, WARNING
Pay attention to traffic and the area around
your vehicle when the efficiency ass ist is
switched on. The driver is always respons ible
for assessing the traffic situation .
© Tips
- The wo rding of the message may vary de
pending on the driving mode set in drive se
lect*
¢page 134 and the current selector
lever position. No messages are disp layed
when in the S selector lever position or in
Dynamic mode .
- When a route is p lanned using the nav iga
tion system*, then the message feed is
based on th is route. Without route guid
ance, the system uses an assumed route for
the message feed.
- There will not be a message for every s itua
t ion ahead, for example if there is not
enough distance remaining to react to the
situat ion .
- No messages are displayed when at speeds
under 20 mph (30 km/h) .
Settings in the Infotainment system
Applies to: vehicles with predictive efficiency ass ist
.. In the Infotainment system, select: I MENU I
button > Vehicle > left control button > Driver
assistance
> Efficiency assist.
Pred ictive messages are shown when this func
tion is switched o n.
(D Tips
No predictive messages are shown on vehicles
without a navigation system .
-
u (0 ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E
Description
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 100 Detect ion range
The adaptive cruise control system is a combina
tion of speed and distance regulation.
It assists
the dr iver by both regulat ing the speed and
maintaining a distance to the vehicle driving
ahead, within the limits of the system .
If the sys
tem detects a vehicle driving ahead, the adaptive
cruise control can brake and accelerate your vehi
cle. This makes dr iving more comfortable both
on long stretches of highway and in stop-and-go
traffic.
What can adaptive cruise control do?
The adaptive cruise control system uses video, ra
dar, ultrasound and navigation data. Vehicles
driving ahead can be recognized up to
650 feet
(200 m) away.
Predictive funct ions offer the driver additional
comfort and contribute to the reduction in fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions
¢page 113.
On open roads with no traffic, it functions like a
cruise control system. The stored speed is main
tained. When approaching a vehicle driving
ahead, the adaptive cruise control system auto
matically brakes to match that vehicle's speed
and the n maintains the set distance. As soon as
the system does not detect a vehicle driving
ahead, adaptive cruise control accelerates up to
the stored speed.
In stop-and-go traffic, adaptive cru ise control ca n
brake until the vehicle is stationary and then can
Assistance systems
also start driving again automatically under cer
tain conditions
¢page 110.
In traffic jams or stop-and-go traffic, traffic jam
ass ist can assist the driver¢
page 114.
Which functions can be controlled?
When you switch adapt ive cruise control on, you
can set the current speed as the "control speed"
¢page 109, Switching on/off.
When driving, you can stop cruise control
¢page 111 or change the speed <::;>page 110 at
any time.
You can also set the distance to the vehicle driv ing ahead and set the driving mode of the adap
tive cruise control¢
page 111.
General information
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 101 F ront of the vehicle : sensors and video camera
The areas with the radar and ultrasonic sensors
and the video camera
i::> fig . 101 must not be cov
ered by stickers, depos its or any other objects,
because this can interfere with the adaptive
cruise control function. For informat io n on clean
ing, see<::;>
page 354. The same applies for any
modifications made in the front area.
In some driving situations, the adaptive cruise
control function is restricted:
- Vehicles can only be detected when they are
with in the sensor detection zones<::;>
page 107,
fig . 100.
- The system has a limited ability to detect
vehicles that are a short distance ahead, off to
the side of your veh icle or moving into your
lane .
107