Driving - The transmission can overheat and be dam
aged under certain driving and traffic condi
tions such as frequent starts, creeping for a
long time, or stop -and-go traffic. When the
@] or. indicator light turns on, stop the
vehicle at the next opportunity and let the
transmission cool
r=;, page 68 .
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped will damage the S tronic trans
mission because it is not lubricated
¢ page 294, Towing with a tow truck.
@ 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
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills .
Hill descent control is ac tivated when the selec
tor lever is in the Dor S position and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is suitable for the hill. Hill de
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations.
If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brakes. Because hill de
scent control cannot shift down farther than 3rd
gear, it may be necessary to shift into tiptronic
mode in very steep areas. In this case, shift man
ually into 1st or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to
use the engine's braking force to relieve the
brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
¢ page 70, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill 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.
66
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
The tiptronic allows the driver to shift the gears
manually .
Fig. 66 Cente r conso le : sh ift ing ma nually with the selecto r
lever
Fig. 67 Steering whee l: ma nual shifting wit h the shift pad
dles•
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tiptronic mode while stationary
and whi le driving.
.,. To shift into tiptronic mode, push the selector
lever from the D/S setting to the right in the
tiptronic shift gate. Once the transmission has
sw itched modes, the selector lever position
M
is shown in the Infotainment system display
r=;,poge 62, fig. 63 . For example M4 means the
fourth gear is engaged .
.,. To shift up a gear, tap the selector lever for
ward
0 ¢ fig. 66.
.,. To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever to
back
0 .
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or
M
(tiptronic shift gate) selector lever positions.
.,. To shift up one gear, tap the shift paddle
0
r=;,fig. 67.
Driving
-When acce lerating using the launch control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads . Th is can lead to increased
wear.
Emergency mode
In the event of a system malfunction, there is on
emergency program.
If all of the se lecto r lever posit ions are h ighlight
ed wit h a light background in the Infotainment
d isp lay, there is a system malfunction and the S
tron ic transmiss ion is running in the emergency
program . The vehicle can still be driven in emer
gency mode, but only with reduced speed and not in a ll gears . In some cases, the vehicle
can
not drive in rever se.
(D Note
If the transmission runs in emergency mode,
drive to an aut ho rized Aud i deale r or a uthor
ized Aud i Service Fac ility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smis sion: malfun ction! Please stop ve
hicle and shift to P
There is a malfunc tion in the transmiss ion. Pa rk
the vehicle se curely and do not continue driving.
See an autho rized Au di dea ler o r autho rized Aud i
Serv ice Facility for assistance .
• Transmission: too hot . Please stop vehicle
The transm ission is too hot and can become dam
aged . Stop and let the transm ission cool with the
engine run ning (at id le) in t he P selector leve r po
sition. Then the indicato r ligh t an d the message
tur n off, drive to an a uthorized Aud i dea le r or au
t hor ized Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction co rrected . If the ind icator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue dr iv ing. See an authorized A udi d ealer
or author ized Audi Se rvice Facility for assistance .
[O] Transmission: malfunction! You can contin
ue driv ing. See owner' s manual
68
Drive to an au thori zed A udi dealer or authori zed
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction cor rected.
[O] Tran smission: malfunction! You may contin
ue dr iving. No reverse gear
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or au thorized
Audi Se rvice Fa cility immed iate ly to have the
malfunc tion cor rec ted .
ml Tran smiss ion: malfunction! You may contin
ue driving in D until engine off
Drive the vehicle away from mov ing traff ic and
park . See an author ized Audi dealer or author ized
Audi Se rvice Facility for assis tance.
ml Transmission: too hot . Please adapt driving
style
Continu e driving moderate ly. When the indicator
li ght turns off, you can cont inue driving norma l
l y.
ml Tran smission: Plea se press brake pedal and
select gear again
I f the transm iss ion m alfu nct io ns bec ause the
temperat ure is too high, a message appe ars
when the t ransmission is cooled .
Ass is t
Assist
Electronic speed Limiter
Your vehicle 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 speed
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 262.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed signals, 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
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 warni ng tone will sound as soon as you r speed
exceeds the sto red value s lightly. The
(OJ (USA
models)
I [OJ (Canada models) indicator light
and a message appear i n the ins trumen t cluster
d isp lay a t the same time. Th@
Hll (USA models)/
[O](Canada models) in dicator light and the mes
sage turn off when the vehicle speed drops be low
the stored maximum speed.
Se tting a threshold is rec om mended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certa in
maximum speed . Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country w it h a ge ne r-
70
al speed limit or if there is a spec ified maximum
speed for winter tires.
Setting the warning threshold
.,. Select in the Infotainment system: IMENU ! but
t on
> Vehicle > left con trol b utton > Driver as
sistance > Speed warning > Manu al.
a) Tips
Regar dless of the speed warning sys tem, you
sh ould alw ays mon itor your spee d using the
speedometer and tnake s ure 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 system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 15 mph
(20kmlh).
0
f
~
0
F ig. 70 Operat ing lever: crui se control system
.,. To switch on the system, pu ll the lever into po -
sition @~
fig. 70.
.,. Drive at the speed to be maintained.
.,. To store the speed, press the button @.
The stored speed and the
M;\1)~1j (USA models) /
l'I (Canada models) indicator light are displayed
in the instrument cluster.
The speed is maintained by modifying engine
power or through an active brake intervention.
_& WARNING
-Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise contro l system is in op
erat ion. You are always respons ible for your ,...
co
co
.... N
" N .... 0
0
Vl c:o
speed and the distance between your vehi
cle 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 this increases the
risk of a n accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporarily
when driving in turning lanes, highway exits
or in construction zones.
- Please note that unconsciously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal prevents
the cruise control from braking. This is be
cause pressing the accelerator pedal over
rides the cruise control system.
- If a brake system malfunction such as over
heating occurs when the cruise control sys
tem is switched on, the braking function in
the system may be switched off . The rest of
the cruise control system functions remain
active as long as the
@;\1)~14 (USA models) I
ill (Canada models) indicator light is on.
@ Tips
The brake lights turn on when the brakes are
app lied automatica lly.
Changing speed
Applies to: veh icles with c ruise control system
.. To increase/decrease the speed in increments,
briefly
tap the lever toward 010 Q page 70,
fig. 70 up/down to the first level.
.. To increase or decrease the speed in incre
ments,
tap the lever toward 010 Q page 70,
fig. 70 up/down to the second level.
.. To increase or decrease the speed quickly ,
hold
the leve r in the 0 / 0 direction until the de
sired speed is reached .
Overriding the speed
Applies to: veh icles with c ruise control system
You can press the accelerator pedal down to in
crease your speed, for example if you want to
pass someone. The speed you set earlier wi ll re-
Assist
sume as soon as you release the acce lerator ped
al.
However, if you are exceeding the stored speed
by a considerable amount for a long time, the
cruise contro l system will temporarily switch off.
The
(ff;ji )~i4 (USA mode ls) Iii (Canada mode ls) in
dicator light in the instrument cluster turns off
and the stored speed is maintained.
Preselecting the speed
Applies to : vehicles with cruise control system
You can pre-select your desired speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
.. Switch on the ignition.
.. Pull the lever into position (!)
Q page 70,
fig. 70.
.. To increase or decrease the speed, tap the lever
toward
0 10 .
This function makes it possible, for 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 (!).
Switching off
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
Temporary deactivation
.. Press the brake pedal, or
.. Press the lever toward@(not locked into
place)
Q poge 70, fig. 70.
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 control has been switched off temporarily .
To resume the stored speed, release the brake or
clutch pedal and pull the lever to position (!).
Switching the ignition off will erase the stored
speed .
71
Intelligent Technology
Intelligent Technology
Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) supports
driver safety.
It reduces the risk of slipping and
improves driving stability. ESC detects critical sit
uations such as the vehicle oversteering and un
dersteering or the wheels are spinning. The vehi
cle is stabilized by applying the brakes or reduc
ing engine torque. When ESC engages, the
G1 in
dicator light blinks in the instrument cluster.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking when brak
ing. The vehicle can still be steered even during
hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
brake pedal indicates that the system is acting to
stabilize the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis
tance. It increases braking power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quickly in emergency sit
uations . You must press and hold the brake pedal
until the dangerous situation is over .
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive wheels
begin spinning and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler
ate and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
EDL applies the brakes to a wheel that starts
spinning and transfers the drive power to the
other driving wheels. This function is not availa
ble at higher speeds.
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off
to keep the brake on the braked wheel from over heating. The vehicle is still working correctly. EDL
will switch on again automatically when condi
tions have returned to normal.
88 Steering
recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv
ing on curves. The front whee l on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the
cu rve are braked selectively as needed. This al
lows more precise driving in curves. The applica
ble system may not activate when driving in wet
or snowy conditions.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the limits imposed by natural physical laws. This is especially important
on slippery or wet roads. If the systems be
gin acting to stabilize your vehicle, you
should immediately alter your speed to
match the road and traffic conditions. Do
not let the increased safety provided tempt
you into taking risks. This could increase
your risk of a collision .
- Please note the risk of a collision increases
when driving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when driv ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre
vent collisions -there is still a risk of acci
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The drive wheels can spin
even when these control systems are instal
led and this can affect driving stability and
increase the risk of a collision.
(j) Tips
-The ABS and ASR only function correctly
when all four wheels have a similar wear
condition. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de
scribed are working.
CD
CD
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Ill co
Intelligent Technology
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 91 Upper center console, fj. OFF b utton
The ESC is designed to function in levels . Depend
ing on the level selected, the ESC stabilization funct
ion is limited or switched off. The amount of
stab ilizat ion control will d iffer depending on the
level.
T he following examples are unusua l situat ions
where it may make sense to switch sport mode
o n in order to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose g round
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or ESC/ ASR
on
Behavio r
The ESC and ASR stabiliza- The stabilization funct ion is The f ull stabilization func-
tion funct ions are limited not availab le
¢ .&. . ESC and tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢ .&.. ASR are switched off. availab le aga in.
Operation Press the l.e OFFI but ton Press and hold the l.e OFFI Press the l .e OFFI but ton
briefly. button longer than 3 sec- aga in .
onds .
Indicator II turns on. II and l*JJ•U~* tu rn on. II turns off or II and
liil•IH * tu rn off. light s
Messages Stab
ilization control (ESC ): Stab ilization con trol (ESC ): Stab ilization cont rol
sport . Warning! Reduced off. Wa rning! Reduced sta -(ESC): on
stability
A WARNING
Y ou shou ld only swit ch spo rt m ode on or
switch ESC/ ASR off if your driving ab ilities
a n d roa d conditions permi t.
bility
- T he s tabiliz ation func tion is li mite d when
s por t mode is sw itched on. The driving
whee ls co uld spin and the vehicle cou ld
swerve, espec ially on s lick or s lippery roa d
surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabi lization when ESC/
ASR are switched off.
(D Tips
Wh en the cruise cont rol sys tem is swi tched
on, ESC/ ASR can not be swi tched o ff or sport
mo de can not be swit ched on .
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their fu ll braking
effect duri ng the first 250 mi (400 km) . They
must be "broke n in" first. Howeve r, you can com
pensate fo r th e slightly reduced braking force by
pressing f irm ly on the b rake pedal. Avo id heavy
bra king du rin g the brea k-in pe riod .
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
vehicle is driven and on operating conditions.
T his is espec ially true if yo u are dr iv ing freq uently
in t he ci ty and o n curves or w ith a spo rty d rivi ng
sty le.
IJI,,
89
Intelligent Technology
Operating nois e
Noises may occur when br aking depend ing on the
speed, b raking force and outside cond itions such
as tempe rature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
I n ce rtain s ituations, for example after driving
through wa ter, in heavy ra in, afte r ove rnig ht con
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
"dried" first w ith a few careful brake applica
tions.
At highe r speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of time . Th is action,
which is not felt by the driver, happens at regular
intervals and ensures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather .
The braking eff ect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the
brakes for long periods of time. The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
first when the brakes are applied .
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to dirty brake pads .
If you usually avoid heavy braking or if there is
corros ion present, occasional heavy braking at
h igh speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads
¢ ,& .
Brake system malfunct ion
if you notice that the brake pedal travel has sud
denly increased, then a brake c ircuit in the dual
circu it brake system may have malfunct ioned.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or aut horized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have t he
p roblem co rrected . On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mi nd that you w ill
need a longer d istance to s top and you w ill need
to p ress the brake pedal har der.
90
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, m alfunc tions in
the b rake system may occur . The brake fluid leve l
i s e lectronically monitored .
Brake booster
The brake booster ampl ifies the press ure you ap
ply to the brake pedal.
_&. WARNING
- New brake pads do no t achieve the ir full
braking effect during the first 2 50 m i
-
(400 km). They m ust be "b roken in" first .
However, you can compensate fo r the
slightly reduced braking force by pressing
firm ly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak
ing during the break-in period .
- On ly app ly the bra kes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en danger other road users . This increases the
ris k of an accident.
- On steep slopes, reduce the speed and se
lect a lower gear o r lower selector leve r po·
si tion. D rive as little as possible while press
ing the bra ke pedal and avoi d pu tting your
left foot on the brake pedal while dr iv ing.
This could cause the bra kes to overhea t and
impair the efficiency of the b rakes.
- Do not let the bra kes "grind" by always
keep ing your foot on the bra ke pe dal. This
can cause the brakes to overheat, inc rease
wear and increase braking distance unneces
sarily .
- Ce rtain weather and operating conditions
such as d riving through water, dr iv ing in
heavy rain or driv ing after wash ing your ve
hicle can impai r the effective ness of the
brakes . In t he win ter, ice may build up o n
the bra ke pa ds, rotors and dr ums. Check
t hese components by b raking carefully. Ap
plyi ng the brakes carefully seve ral times
dries the brakes and removes ice build-up .
- The efficiency o f th e brakes can also be im
p air ed by dr iv ing for long s tretches on roads
covered with sa lt wi thout using the bra kes .
You can remove salt deposits from the ..,.
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co
.... N
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0
Vl c:o
brake rotors and pads by caref ull y applying
the brakes several t imes .
-If the front spoiler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel
brakes are vent ilated properly. Otherwise,
the brake system could overheat, wh ich re
duces the ir effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impairs b raking
performance , which increases brak ing dis
tance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest author ized Audi
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Facility.
- Never let the vehicle roll while t he engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of a n
acc iden t.
- If the bra ke booste r is not working, you will
have to press m uch ha rder on the bra ke
ped al to compensate for the lac k of th e
booster.
- Never let the brakes "rub " by pressing the
pedal light ly when bra king is no t actually
ne cessary . T his cause s the brakes to over
hea t and i ncre ases br aking di stance and
ca uses wear.
- B efo re driv ing downh ill a long dis tance on a
steep h ill, decrease your speed and se lec t a
l ower gear . This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes . If
you need to b rake additionally, brake in in
tervals and not continuously.
@ Tips
- If the brake booste r is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much more
fo rce than normal.
- If you retrofit yo ur vehicle with a front spoil
er, whee l
covers or similar items, make sure
that the air flow to the front whee ls is not
i nterr upted . Otherw ise the brake system
ca n become too hot .
Intelligent Technology
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver 's steering movements .
Power steering adap ts elec tronically based on
the ve hicle speed.
Indicator light s and message s
• Steering: malfun ction! Please stop vehicle
If this indica 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 an autho riz ed
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Fac ility for
assistance .
l;r- ij S teering : malfun ction! You may continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on, the steering wheel
may be more d ifficult to
move or more sensit ive
t h an usua l. Th e steer ing whee l may a lso be at an
angle when d riving s trai ght.
D rive slowly to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or au
t h orized Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal
funct ion corre cted.
(D Tips
If the . or l;r, ij ind icator light only s tays on
fo r a short time, you may continue d riving.
All wheel drive (quattro)
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered.
General information
In all whee l dr ive, the dr iv ing power is divided be
tween all four wheels . This happens automatical
ly depending on you r dr iv ing behav ior as we ll as
t h e cur rent road condi tions. A lso see ~
page 88,
Elec tronic stabilization con trol ( ESC).
T he all whee l dr ive concept is des igned for high
engine power . You r vehicle is except ionally pow
erfu l and has excellent driv ing cha racteristics
bot h unde r normal d rivi ng conditions and o n
91