Driving
Check that the brakes work properly (especially
after driving through water).
WARNING
- You should exercise particular care when
driving on difficult road surfaces, and try to
anticipate hazards in advance. Excessive
speed or careless manoeuvres can result in
personal injury or damage to the vehicle.
- Always adjust your speed to suit the terrain
or road surface and weather or traffic condi
tions.
Drive extra slowly when visibility is
limited by uneven terrain.
- Please note that there can be an increased
tendency for the wheeLs to spin in ESC off-
road mode, causing the vehicLe to lose grip,
in particular on slippery or wet roads -
dan
ger of skidding!
-The car's stability is restricted in ESC off-
road mode.
CO
<
O
rN
iv
rN
•-i
00
•} For
the sake of the environment
Take care not to damage the environment and
respect natural surroundings.
Note
Only drive where access by motor vehicles is
permitted and keep to the marked tracks and
routes.
Driving tips
When driving on rough tracks always drive slowly
and be aware of possible hazards.
Please observe the following precautions if you
drive the vehicle on unsurfaced tracks or off-
road:
•
When driving off-road you are advised to avoid
tracks or terrain which are not suited to the de
sign of the car and your own driving skills and
experience. Do
not
take risks.
•
Drive slowly and be ready for possible hazards.
•
Be aware of the maximum ground clearance of
your vehicle. The figure in actual conditions
may be different, depending on the type of sur
face,
the surrounding terrain and the load be
ing carried. With certain types of suspension,
such as sports suspension, the ground clear
ance is reduced. It is the responsibility of the
driver to decide whether or not the vehicLe is
capable of safely negotiating a particular situa
tion.
•
Activate the ESC off-road mode if required
^>page
146.
Unsurfaced tracks
On unfamiliar roads and off-road terrain, drive
slowly and be prepared for unexpected obstacles,
such as pot-holes, rocks or tree stumps, etc.
To prevent ground contact and possible damage
to the underside, do not drive the bottom of your
vehicle directly over raised obstacles. Instead,
drive the wheels on one side of the car up and
across the top of the obstacle.
When driving over sand or soft mud, maintain a
moderate speed and avoid stopping if possible.
Driving through water on roads
Please observe the important safety warnings on
^>page
72.
Automatic gearbox
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
The automatic gearbox is controlled electronical
ly. The gearbox changes up and down automati
cally.
When you drive at moderate speeds the gearbox
will select the most economical shift pro
gramme. It will then change up early and delay
the downshifts to give better fuel economy.
If you drive at higher speeds with heavy accelera
tion,
if you open the throttle quickly, or if you use
the kick-down or the car's maximum speed, the
gearbox will automatically select the more "spor
ty" shift programmes when the selector lever is
in position S.
If desired, you can also select the gears manually
(tiptronic mode)
^page
90, Manual gear se
lection (tiptronic mode). •
85
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
tiptronic mode to use the engine braking effect
and reduce the load on the brakes.
Downhill speed control is deactivated as soon as
the road Levels out again or you press the acceler
ator pedal.
On vehicles with cruise control system*
<^>page
104, downhill speed control is activated
when you set
a
cruising speed.
A WARNING
The downhill speed control function cannot
defy the Laws of physics and may therefore
not be able to maintain a constant speed in
certain circumstances. Always be prepared to
use the brakes!
Manual gear selection (tiptronic mode)
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
The
tiptronic feature allows the driver to also
change gear manually.
Fig.
78 Centre console: Manual gear selection using selec
tor lever
Fig.
79 Steering wheel: Manual gear selection with paddle
levers*
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicLe stationary or on the move.
•
From position D/S, push the selector lever to
the right into the tiptronic selector gate to
acti
vate tiptronic mode. As soon as the automatic
gearbox has activated this mode, the letter M
will appear on the display
opage
86, Fig. 75;
e.g.
M4 means
that
the vehicle is in 4th gear.
•
Briefly push the selector lever forwards
0
oF/'g.
78 to change up a gear.
•
Briefly pull the selector lever back
Q
to change
down a gear.
Gear selection with paddle levers*
You can use the paddle levers when the selector
lever is in position D/S or M
(-
tiptronic selector
gate).
• To shift up a gear, briefly pull the paddle lever
Q*Fig.
79.
•
To shift down a gear, briefly pull the paddle lev
er©.
If
you
use the paddle levers when the selector
lever is in positions D/S, the gearbox will remain
in manual mode for
a
while. To switch back im
mediately to automatic mode after changing
gears manually,
pull
the paddle
lever 0
^>Fig.
79 for approximately 1 second.
If
you
want to use the paddle levers permanent
ly, push the selector lever from position D/S to
the right into the tiptronic selector gate.
Description
The gearbox automatically shifts up or down into
the next gear before a critical engine speed is
reached.
The gearbox only allows manual gear changes if
the engine speed would remain within the per
missible range.
Kick-down feature
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
The
kick-down feature is designed to give maxi
mum acceleration.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right down
past the point of resistance at full throttle (kick-
down feature), the gearbox
wilL
shift down to a
lower gear, depending on road speed and engine •
90
Driving
speed.
The upshift to the next higher gear is de
layed until the engine reaches maximum rpm.
WARNING
Please note that if the road surface is slippery
or wet, the kick-down feature could cause the
driven wheels to
spin,
which could result in
skidding.
Coasting mode
Applies to: vehicles with S tronic gearbox and coasting mode
In coasting
mode1)
you can use the vehicle's mo
mentum to freewheel, for instance when ap
proaching a speed restriction in a built-up area.
The engine is disengaged from the gearbox. This
allows you to save fuel by anticipating the traffic
situation ahead.
Requirements for using coasting mode
•
Efficiency mode selected in drive select*
^>page
131.
*•
The selector lever must be in position D.
•
Road speed less than approx. 130 km/h.
•
Road relatively level.
Activating coasting mode
•
Take your foot off the accelerator.
The
message1)
Coasting will then appear in the
"on-board computer" display. The engine ticks
over at idling speed while the vehicLe is coasting.
Stopping coasting mode
•
Press the brake or accelerator pedal or briefly
pull the paddle lever
^page
90, Fig. 79.
A WARNING
- When coasting mode is activated, there is
no engine braking effect and the vehicle
does not slow down as quickly as usual or
may even pick up speed if
you
are driving
down a slope - risk of accident!
- If other people are using your car, you
should draw their attention to the coasting
mode.
© Note
- The gear is no longer displayed when you
are in coasting mode (e.g.
E
instead of E7).
- The coasting mode is deactivated tempora
rily on gradients of
15
% or greater.
- Coasting mode is not available while the
cruise control system* or adaptive cruise
control*
is switched on.
Launch control programme
Applies to: vehicles with S tronic gearbox and launch control
programme
The
launch control programme enables maxi
mum acceleration.
The launch control programme is not available
for all engine/gearbox combinations.
Important: The engine must be warm and the
steering wheel must be pointing straight ahead.
•
Deactivate^
the start/stop system*
^>page
81.
The LED in the
Sj
button will light up.
•
Deactivate25
the hold assist*
^page
84. The
LED in the button will go out.
•
Press the
|aQFF|
button once briefly while the
engine is running
3) 4).
CO
rN
IV
rN
t-H
o < 00
1)
Not available for all countries.
2)
The system does not need to be deactivated on all gearbox
versions.
3'
On vehicles with driver information system, the ESC lamp
lights up permanently and the message Stabilisation
con
trol (ESC): offroad. Warning! Restricted stability appears
temporarily in the instrument cluster to indicate the deac
tivation status.
4)
Vehicles without driver information system: The indicator
lamp flashes slowly.
91
Driving
•
Briefly pull the selector lever back from
posi
tion D/S to select position S, or move the selec
tor lever to the right into the tiptronic gate, or
select dynamic mode in drive select*
^>page
131.
•
Press the brake pedal firmly with your
left
foot
and hold it down for at Least one second.
•
At the same time, press the accelerator all the
way down with your right foot until the engine
revs are high and steady.
• Take your
left
foot
off
the brake.
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driving style to the traffic
conditions.
- Only use the launch control programme
when road and traffic conditions permit,
and make
sure
your manner of driving and
accelerating the vehicle does not inconven
ience or endanger other road users.
- Please note that the driven wheels may
start to spin when the off-road mode is
switched on, causing the vehicle to Lose
grip,
in particular on slippery or wet roads -
danger of skidding!
- When acceleration has been completed, you
should deactivate the off-road mode again
by briefly pressing the
|flQFF|
button.
© Note
- The gearbox may be hot after you have used
the launch control programme. In this case,
the programme may not be available for
several minutes. The programme will be
available again after
a
cool-down period.
-Accelerating with the launch control pro
gramme places a heavy load on all parts of
the vehicLe. This can result in increased wear
and tear.
Gearbox malfunction
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
| Gearbox malfunction! Please stop the vehi
cle and select P
There is a malfunction in the gearbox. Park the
vehicle safely and do not drive on. Obtain profes
sional assistance.
| Gearbox overheating! Please stop the vehi
cle.
The gearbox is overheating and could be dam
aged.
Stop the vehicle and let the gearbox cool
down with the engine idling and the selector lev
er in position P. If the warning lamp and the
message disappear, drive to a qualified workshop
soon and have the fault rectified. Do not drive on
if the warning lamp stays on and the message
does not disappear. Obtain professional assis
tance.
E3
Gearbox malfunction: you can continue driv
ing
Drive to a qualified workshop soon and have the
fault rectified.
S3
Gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear (you
can continue driving)
A gearbox malfunction has occurred. The gearbox
will switch to the back-up programme. The pro
gramme will only move into certain gears or may
not be able to shift gears at all. The engine may
stall.
You can no longer engage reverse gear.
Drive to a qualified workshop without delay and
have the fault rectified.
jftj
Gearbox malfunction: you can continue driv
ing in D until engine off
Park your vehicle well away from moving traffic.
Obtain professional assistance.
ty
Gearbox overheating: please adapt driving
style
You can continue driving at moderate speed. You
can resume normal driving if the indicator lamp
goes out.
LQ]
Gearbox: please press brake pedal and select
gear again
If
a
gearbox malfunction has occurred due to
overheating, this message will appear once the
gearbox has cooled down again.
92