Driving
Applies to: vehicles with S tronic gearbox
The
S
tronic is a
dual-clutch
gearbox. Torque is
transmitted via two independent clutches. They
replace the torque converter found on conven
tional automatic gearboxes and allow for
smooth,
uninterrupted acceleration of the
vehi
cle.
Selector lever positions
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
8:20
09.06.2012
524S km 150.3
+22.5
(
Fig.
75 Instrument cluster: Selector lever positions
Fig.
76 Selector lever lock
The current selector Lever position is shown next
to the selector Lever
^>Fig.
76 and on the instru
ment cluster display
^>Fig.
75. In addition, the
current gear is shown on the instrument cluster
display.
•
Switch on the ignition.
•
If the selector lever is in position
P
or N, you
will need to release the selector lever lock
•=>page
86.
•
Move the selector lever to the desired position.
The current position is indicated on the selector
gate.
Selector lever lock
The selector Lever lock prevents gears from being
engaged inadvertently, so that the vehicle is not
set in motion unintentionally.
The selector Lever is Locked in the
P
and N
posi
tions when the ignition is on. To move the selec
tor lever out of positions
P
and N, the driver must
apply the brake pedal and press the interlock
button.
The selector Lever lock only works if the vehicLe is
stationary or driving at speeds up to approx. 2
km/h.
At higher speeds the selector lever lock in
the N position is disengaged automatically.
The selector Lever lock is not engaged if the se
lector Lever is moved quickly through position N
(e.g.
when shifting from
R
to D). This makes it
possible, for instance, to "rock" the vehicle back
wards and forwards if it is stuck in snow or mud.
The selector Lever lock engages automatically if
the brake pedal is not depressed and the lever is
in position N for more than about two seconds.
Safety interlock for ignition key*
Applies to: vehicles with ignition lock
The key can only be withdrawn from the ignition
lock with the ignition switched off and the selec
tor lever in position P. When the ignition key is
removed,
the selector lever is locked in position
P.
P- Parking lock
In this position, the vehicle cannot roll away. The
parking lock must only be engaged when the ve
hicle is stationary
•=> A-
The selector Lever lock (the button on the selec
tor lever handle) must be released
one/the
brake
pedal must be pressed before the selector lever
can be moved either into or out of position P.
Should the power supply to the selector lever
fail,
the selector lever will be locked in position P
cépage
93, Releasing the selector lever man
ually (left-hand drive vehicles) or
^>page
94,
Releasing the selector lever manually (right-
hand drive vehicles). •
86
Driving
R - Reverse gear
Reverse gear should only be engaged when the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is idling
^A-
To move the selector lever to position R, release
the selector Lever lock and at the same time
press the brake pedal.
N - Neutral
In this position, the gearbox is in neutral.
D/S - Drive/Sport (standard position for
driving forwards)
In selector Lever position D/S, the gearbox can be
operated in either the standard drive mode (D) or
in sport mode (S). To select sport mode (S), brief
ly pull the selector lever back. The gearbox will
switch back to drive mode (D) if
you
pull the se
lector lever again. The selected driving mode is
shown in the instrument cluster display.
In the standard drive mode (D), the gearbox au
tomatically selects the best gear ratio. This de
pends on the engine
load,
the road speed and the
driving style.
In Sport mode S, the gearbox makes full use of
the engine power. When accelerating the gear
shifts may be noticeable.
Press the brake pedal when moving the selector
lever from N to D/S if the vehicle is stationary or
at speeds below 2 km/h
o A-
E - Efficiency*
In efficiency mode
^>page
131, Audi drive se
lect,
the gearbox selects the next gear at lower
engine speeds. Earlier upshifts give improved
fuel economy because the full power reserves of
the engine are not used.
In this mode, an
E
is shown on the instrument
cluster display instead of
a D
^>Fig.
75.
CO
< o rN
iv
rN
t-H
o < 00
A,
WARNING
- The car can roll away even if the ignition is
switched off.
- Never move the selector lever to
R
or P
when driving, as this could cause an
acci
dent.
- In all selector lever positions (except P) the
vehicle must always be held with the foot
brake when the engine is running. This is be
cause an automatic gearbox still transmits
power even at idling speed, and the vehicle
tends to "creep" - risk of accident!
- The accelerator pedal must on no account
be pressed inadvertently when a gear is en
gaged with the vehicle stationary. The
vehi
cle could otherwise start moving immedi
ately (in some cases even if the parking
brake is engaged) and possibly cause an ac
cident.
- Do not press the accelerator while selecting
a gear with the vehicle stationary and the
engine running, as this could cause an
acci
dent.
- The driver should never get out of the
vehi
cle when the engine is running and a gear is
engaged.
If
you
have to Leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must apply
the parking brake and engage the parking
lock P.
- To avoid accidents, apply the parking brake
and
put
the selector lever in position
P
be
fore opening the bonnet and working on the
vehicLe with the engine running. Please ob
serve the important safety warnings
^>page
295, Working on components in
the engine compartment.
© Note
- Audi drive select: You can select the sport
program for gear changes by activating the
dynamic mode
^>page
131. The instru
ment cluster display will show
S
instead of
D.
- If the lever is moved accidentally to
N
when
driving,
take
your
foot off the accelerator
and
let
the engine speed drop to idling be
fore selecting
D
or
S
again.
- It is not possible to move the selector lever
out of position
P
if the electrical power sup
ply fails. In this case, the selector lever can
be released manually. Left-hand drive
vehicles
^page
93, right-hand drive
vehicles
<^>page
94.
87
Driving
©
y Note
If the selector lever does not lock automati
cally, a malfunction has occurred. In this case,
the power transmission is interrupted to pre
vent the vehicle from moving unintentionally.
Proceed as follows to engage the selector lev
er lock again:
- Applies to vehicles with 6-speed gearbox:
Briefly press the brake pedal.
- Applies to vehicles with 7-speed gearbox:
Press the brake pedal. Move the selector
lever to position
P
or
N
and then select a
gear.
- If the vehicle does not move forwards or
backwards even though a gear is selected,
proceed as follows:
- If the vehicle does not move in the desired
direction,
the system may have failed to en
gage the gear correctly. In this case, press
the brake pedal and select the gear again.
- If the vehicle still does not move in the de
sired direction, a system malfunction has
occurred.
Seek professional assistance and
have the system checked.
General notes on driving an automatic
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
Fig.
77 Detail of the centre console: Selector lever with in
terlock button
Starting the engine
•
Move the selector Lever to
P
or N. In the case of
Low outside temperatures (below -10 °C), the
engine can only be started when the selector
lever is in position P.
Driving away from a standstill
•
Press and hold the brake pedal.
•
Press and hold the interlock button (the button
in the selector lever handle), set the selector
lever to the desired position (e.g. D)
^>page
86
and release the interlock button.
•
Wait for the gearbox to engage the gear (a
slight movement can be felt).
•
Release the brake and press the accelerator
There are several convenient functions to help
you drive away on gradients
^page
83.
Stopping briefly
•
Press the brake pedal to hold the vehicLe when
stationary (for instance at traffic lights).
•
Do not press the accelerator.
•
To prevent the vehicLe from rolling away, apply
the parking brake before moving off on steep
gradients
•=>^
and
•=>(]).
• As soon as you acceLerate as normal, the park
ing brake will automatically be released and
the vehicLe will start moving. Important: The
driver's door must be closed.
Stopping/parking the car
If
you
open the driver's door while the selector
lever is not in position P, the vehicle can roll
away. The message Shift to P, otherwise vehicle
can roll away. Doors do not lock if lever is not in
P. appears on vehicles with convenience key*. A
buzzer will also sound.
•
Press and hold the brake pedal
<=>
A..
•
Apply the parking brake.
•
Move the selector Lever to P.
In some situations (such as on mountain roads or
when towing a trailer or caravan) it can be advan
tageous to switch temporarily to the manual
shift programme so that the gear ratios can be
selected manually to suit the driving conditions
^>page
90.
On level ground it is sufficient to move the selec
tor lever to P. On a gradient the parking brake
should be applied first and the selector Lever
should be moved to
P ^>page
82. This reduces
the load on the locking mechanism and makes it
easier to move the selector lever out of position
P. •
88
Driving
A WARNING
- The driver should never get out of the
vehi
cle when the engine is running and a gear is
engaged.
If you have to leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must apply
the parking brake and engage the parking
lock P.
-If the engine is running and a gear is engag
ed (D/S or R) or the vehicle is in "tiptronic"
mode,
you will need to hold the car with the
footbrake. Otherwise, the car will "creep"
forwards as the power transmission is not
fully interrupted even when the engine is
idling.
- The accelerator pedal must on no account
be pressed inadvertently when the vehicle is
stationary. The vehicle could otherwise start
moving immediately (in some cases even if
the parking brake is engaged) and possibly
cause an accident.
- Do not press the accelerator while selecting
a gear with the vehicle stationary and the
engine running, as this could cause an
acci
dent.
- Never move the selector lever to R or P
when driving at normal speeds, as this could
cause an accident.
- Before you drive down a steep gradient, re
duce the speed and use "tiptronic" to select
a low gear.
- Never allow the brake to drag when driving
downhill and do not use the brake pedal too
often
or
for long periods. Constant braking
will cause the brakes to overheat and will
considerably reduce the effectiveness of the
brakes. It will increase the braking distance
and could cause the brake system to
fail.
- To avoid rolling back on gradients always
hold the vehicLe with the footbrake or park
ing brake if you have to stop.
- Never attempt to hold the vehicle with the
clutch when stopping on a gradient. The
clutch is disengaged automatically if it is
overloaded and becomes too hot - accident
risk! If the clutch is overloaded, the indica
tor lamp
0
will light up and a message will
appear
^>page
92.
© CAUTION
- When you have stopped on a gradient, do
not try to stop the vehicle rolling back by ac
celerating when a gear is engaged. This
could cause the automatic gearbox to over
heat and become damaged. Apply the park
ing brake or press the brake pedal in order
to prevent the vehicle from rolling back.
- If you allow the car to roll with the selector
lever in position N with the engine switched
off, the automatic gearbox will be damaged
as it will not be lubricated
^page
328,
Tow-starting / towing
away.
- In certain driving and traffic conditions, for
instance in stop-and-go traffic, if you have
to pull away frequently or if the vehicle
creeps forwards over a long distance, the
gearbox can overheat and become dam
aged.
If the indicator Lamp
[5J
or the warn
ing
lampH
Lights up, stop the vehicle at
the first opportunity and let the gearbox
cool down
^>page
92.
© Note
For safety reasons the parking brake will only
release automatically if the driver's door is
closed.
Downhill speed control
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
The downhill speed control function helps the
driver when driving down steep gradients.
Downhill speed control is activated on a downhill
gradient when the selector lever is in D/S and the
driver presses the brake pedal. The gearbox auto
matically selects a suitable gear for the gradient.
The downhill speed control function attempts to
maintain the speed at which the vehicLe was trav
elling when the foot brake was applied (subject
to the laws of physics and technical limitations of
the power train). It may be necessary to adjust
the speed again using the foot brake. The down
hill speed control can change down to 3rd gear
but no further, so it may be necessary to change
to tiptronic mode on very steep gradients. In this
case,
change down manually to 2nd or 1st gear in •
CO
89
Driving
CO
< o rN
iv
rN
i—i
00
Releasing the selector lever manually (left-
hand drive vehicles)
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
The
selector lever can be released manually if
the electrical power supply should
fail.
K
Fig.
80 Selector lever: Removing the boot
Fig.
81 Manually releasing the selector lever from position
P
This section describes how to manually release
the selector Lever on Left-hand drive vehicles.
The selector lever must be manually released
from position
P
in order to move or tow the
vehi
cle.
The manual release mechanism is Located on the
right underneath the selector gate. Releasing the
selector lever requires a certain degree of practi
cal
skill.
We therefore advise you to obtain pro
fessional assistance.
To release the selector lever, you
wilL
need the
screwdriver from the vehicle's tool kit, which is
located in the luggage compartment
^>page
319. Use the flat-blade side of the rever
sible screwdriver insert.
Removing the selector lever boot
• Apply the parking brake
& ^/^
to prevent
your vehicle from moving. If this is not possi
ble,
use other means to prevent your vehicle
from moving.
•
Switch off the ignition.
• To loosen the selector lever boot, carefully in
sert the flat-blade side of the screwdriver into
the opening
at
the side of the boot
^>Fig.
80.
•
Carefully lever off the boot with the screwdriver
and,
at the same time, pull the boot upwards
-arrow- at the crease with your hand until it is
released at all four corners.
•
Fold the boot over the selector lever knob
=>
Fig.
81.
Releasing the selector lever manually
•
Insert the screwdriver in the opening for the
yellow release lever
^>Fig.
81.
•
Using the screwdriver, carefully pull the release
lever towards the rear as far as it will go and
hold it in this position.
•
Now press the interlock button on the selector
lever
®
and move the selector lever to position
N.
•
After manually releasing the selector lever
make sure you clip the gear lever boot back into
the gearshift gate.
A WARNING
- Only use the manual release mechanism
when the vehicle is on level ground or a
slight gradient.
- The selector lever must not be moved out of
position
P
if the parking brake is not ap
plied.
If this does not work, use the brake
pedal to hold the vehicle or use wheel
chocks or similar to block one of the front
and rear wheels. If
you
do not apply the
brake,
the vehicle may roll away and cause
an accident.
93
Driving
Releasing the selector lever manually
(right-hand drive vehicles)
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
The
selector lever can be released manually if
the electrical power supply should
fail.
n
Fig.
82 Selector lever: Removing the boot
m
i
Fig.
83 Manually releasing the selector lever from position
P
This section describes how to manually release
the selector lever on right-hand drive vehicles.
The selector lever must be manually released
from position
P
in order to move or tow the
vehi
cle.
The manual release mechanism is located on the
right underneath the selector gate. Releasing the
selector lever requires a certain degree of practi
cal
skill.
We therefore advise you to obtain pro
fessional assistance.
To release the selector lever, you will need the
screwdriver from the vehicle's tool kit, which is
located in the luggage compartment
^>page
319. Use the flat-blade side of the rever
sible screwdriver insert.
Removing the selector lever boot
•
Apply the parking brake fâ)
o^
to prevent
your vehicLe from moving. If this is not possi
ble,
use other means to prevent your vehicle
from moving.
•
Switch off the ignition.
• To Loosen the selector lever boot, carefully in
sert the flat-blade side of the screwdriver into
the opening
at
the side of the boot
^>Fig.
82.
*•
Carefully lever off the
boot
with the screwdriver
and,
at the same time, pull the boot upwards
-arrow- at the crease with your hand until it is
released at
alL
four corners.
•
Fold the boot over the selector lever knob
^Fig.
83.
•
Take out the panel for the selector Lever
posi
tion indicator and Let it hang down to one side,
suspended by the cable
0 •=>
Fig.
83.
Releasing the selector lever manually
•
Insert the screwdriver in the opening for the
yellow release lever (section
@
of
<$
Fig.
83).
•
Using the screwdriver, carefully pull the release
lever towards the rear as far as it will go and
hold it in this position.
•
Now press the interlock button on the selector
lever
@
and move the selector Lever to position
N.
•
After manually releasing the selector lever,
make sure you fit the panel for the selector lev
er position indicator back in the selector gate
and clip the selector lever boot back into place.
A WARNING
- Only use the manual release mechanism
when the vehicle is on level ground or a
slight gradient.
94
- The selector lever must not be moved out of
position P if the parking brake is not ap
plied.
If this does not work, use the brake
pedal to hold the vehicle or use wheel
chocks or similar to block one of the front
and rear wheels. If
you
do not apply the
brake,
the vehicle may roll away and cause
an accident.
Driver assist systems
© Note
The distance may be below the warning
threshold for a short time when overtaking or
approaching a slower vehicle quickly from be
hind.
In this case, no warning will be given. A
warning is only given if the distance is consis
tently below the threshold.
Driver messages
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
El
ACC:
not available
The system cannot detect vehicles reliably and
will be deactivated. The sensor is out of align
ment or defective. Drive to a qualified workshop
and have the fault rectified.
EH
ACC:
currently unavailable. No sensor vision
Eo3
ACC:
currently unavailable. Sensor view re
stricted due to surroundings. See owner's
man
ual
These messages appear if the radar sensor vision
is impaired, e.g. by leaves, snow, heavy road
spray or dirt. Clean the sensor
^>page
112,
Fig. 101.
E3
ACC:
currently unavailable. Speed too low
Manual gearbox: This message appears if the cur
rent speed is too low for
ACC
mode. You cannot
store speed settings below 30 km/h. The cruise
control system switches off if the speed falls
be
low 20 km/h.
Esi
ACC:
available from 2nd gear up
Manual gearbox: The adaptive cruise control only
operates in 2nd gear or higher.
B
ACC:
currently unavailable. Gradient too
steep
The maximum possible road gradient for safe op
eration of the adaptive cruise control has been
exceeded.
The adaptive cruise control cannot be
switched on.
ffl
Ea3
ACC:
only
available in D, S or M < o
PI
Automatic gearbox: Move the selector lever to
g
position D/S or M. <
00
Eol
ACC:
clutch pedal pressed
Automatic gearbox: Cruise control mode is deac
tivated if the clutch pedal is pressed for
a
rela
tively long period.
Bf
ACC:
engine speed
Manual gearbox: This message appears if the
driver does not change gear in time when the
adaptive cruise control accelerates or brakes the
vehicle and the engine speed is too high or low as
a result. The adaptive cruise control is switched
off.
EJACC:
parking brake applied
The adaptive cruise control system is deactivated
if the parking brake is applied. The adaptive
cruise control will be available again when the
parking brake is released.
Eo3
ACC:
currently unavailable. Stabilisation
control input
This message appears if the electronic stabilisa
tion control (ESC) intervenes. In this case, the
adaptive cruise control will automatically be
switched off.
Eo3 ACC
off: manual control!
This message appears if the vehicLe rolls back
wards when driving away on a slight gradient,
even though the adaptive cruise control is active.
Press the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling back or colliding with an object behind.
EM
ACC:
currently unavailable. Park assist ac
tive
The systems are switched off when the park as
sist* is active. The systems will be available again
when the parking manoeuvre is finished.
Distance warning: fault. Please contact work
shop
The system cannot detect vehicles reliably and
will be deactivated. The radar sensor is out of
alignment or defective. Drive to a qualified work
shop and have the fault rectified.
Distance warning: currently unavailable. Sensor
view restricted due to surroundings •
119