Driving
Driving off with the hold assist
Applies to: vehicles with hold assist
The hold assist helps the driver if the vehicle is
stationary for a Long period or very often, for in
stance at traffic lights, on steep gradients or in
stop-and-go traffic.
Important: The driver's door must be closed and
the engine must be running.
• To switch the hold assist on/off, press the but
ton
«59 © ^>page
82, Fig. 74,
•=»^.
The LED in
the button will light up or go out.
•
Once it detects that the vehicle has stopped,
the hold assist keeps the vehicle stationary. In
this case, a green indicator Lamp
^
Lights up in
the instrument cluster. You can now take your
foot
off the brake pedal.
•
Drive off in the normal way: the brake will be
released automatically and the vehicle will
start moving.
In certain situations, the hold assist transfers the
job of holding the vehicle to the parking brake.
As soon as the parking brake is holding the
vehi
cle
still,
the warning lamp || appears in the in
strument cluster. In addition, the LED in the ®)
button will light up.
Driver messages in the instrument cluster
display
P.]
Hold assist: unavailable
If this message appears, the hold assist is un
available or the system requirements have not
been met.
A WARNING
Applies to: vehicles with hill hold assist
If
you
do not drive away immediately after re
leasing the brake pedal, or if the engine
stalls,
the vehicle could start to roll back. You
should therefore immediately press the brake
pedal or apply the parking brake.
A WARNING
The intelligent technology in the hold assist*
and hill hold assist functions cannot defy the
laws of physics. Do not let the extra conven
ience afforded by the hold assist* and hill
hold assist functions tempt you into taking
any risks when driving - this can cause
acci
dents.
- The hold assist* and hill hold assist func
tions cannot keep the vehicle stationary in
all conditions on a gradient (e.g. if the road
is slippery or icy).
- Always ensure that the vehicle is stopped
properly and safely - risk of accident!
(T)
CAUTION
Switch off the hold assist* function before
driving the vehicle into a car wash.
©
r
Note
Applies to: vehicles with automatic gearbox
When the hold assist* function is switched
on,
it stops the vehicle from creeping for
wards when you take
your
foot off the brake
pedal.
Off-road driving
General notes
The functions of the electronic stabilisation
con
trol (ESC) have been augmented to provide extra
assistance when driving off-road. The
ESC
off-
road mode can be activated in situations when it
would be advantageous for the wheels to lock, or
when a differential Lock would normally be re
quired
^>page
146.
This Audi model is not an off-road vehicle, how
ever. When driving off-road you are advised to
avoid tracks or terrain which are not suited to
the design of the car and your own driving skills
and experience. Do not take any risks.
After driving off-road
- After driving, remove any pieces of foliage or
other objects which may be caught in the radia
tor grille, under the car or in the wheels. In par
ticular, inspect the tyre treads for stones.
- Clean the bodywork and underside of the
vehi
cle and check the underside for possible dam
age.
- Remove dirt from the windows, headlight
len
ses and number plates. •
84
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
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iv
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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
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
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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
Towing a trailer
Tyre pressure
Check the tyre pressures on your car, and adjust
for "full
load"
conditions (refer to the sticker list
ing the tyre pressures)
^>page
307. It may also
be necessary to adjust the tyre pressures on the
trailer according to the recommendations of the
trailer manufacturer.
Exterior mirrors
Check whether you can see enough of the road
behind the trailer with the standard mirrors. If
this is not the case you should have additional
mirrors fitted. Both exterior mirrors should be
mounted on hinged extension brackets. Adjust
the mirrors to give sufficient vision to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting
a
journey, check the headlight
beam settings with the trailer hitched up. Adjust
the headlight settings if necessary.
On vehicles with halogen headlights, the
head
light range control must be adjusted, see
tapage
49.
The headlight range control will be adjusted au
tomatically if your vehicle is equipped with LED
headlights*.
Power supply
To ensure that the engine can be started again
after the ignition is switched off, the power
man
agement system
^>page
149 controls the distri
bution of electrical power and gradually switches
off unnecessary electrical equipment. The trailer
is supplied with power during this period. The
power supply to the trailer is interrupted while
the engine is being started.
Removable ball joint coupling
Vehicles with a factory-fitted towing bracket are
equipped with a removable
ball
joint coupling.
This is stored in the spare wheel well or in a sepa
rate bag on the floor of the luggage compart
ment, together with the necessary fitting instruc
tions.
We recommend having the car serviced be
tween the normal inspection intervals if it
used frequently for towing a trailer.
Trailer stabilisation system
Applies to: vehicles with towing bracket
Trailer stabilisation helps to reduce the risk of
the vehicle skidding when towing a
trailer.
When is the trailer stabilisation
system1'
activated?
Trailer stabilisation is active when the following
requirements are met:
- The ESC must be switched on
^>page
146 and
fully functional (no ESC malfunction).
- The trailer connector must be properly secured
in the vehicle socket.
- The vehicle speed must be higher than approx.
60 km/h.
How trailer stabilisation works
In many cases, the driver can stabilise a swaying
trailer by manually braking the vehicle.
However, if the ESC detects that the trailer is
swaying and this is affecting the towing vehicle,
it will automatically brake the vehicle in order to
stabilise the trailer. The indicator
Lamp Hi
will
flash in the instrument cluster. If possible, do
not turn the steering wheel at this stage.
In order to warn traffic behind you, the brake
lights will come on during this automatic braking
operation.
A trailer may sway quite considerably without the
trailer stabilisation system intervening.
If the system for activating the trailer brake
lights is defective, this will be indicated in the in
strument cluster display
opage
35,
:&
Bulb
monitor.
•
CO
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x)
Not available on vehicles for some markets.
97
Driver assist systems
Driver assist systems Cruise
control,
system
Speed warning function
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning function
The speed warning function can
help
you keep
below a pre-set maximum speed. It can be set,
changed and deleted on the infotainment sys
tem.
The speed warning function will warn you if the
vehicle exceeds the pre-set maximum speed. The
system gives an audible warning signal if the set
speed is exceeded by a small amount. At the
same time, a warning lamp [5] and a message
will appear on the instrument cluster display.
The indicator Lamp [5] and the message will dis
appear when the road speed drops below the set
value.
You are recommended to store this speed limit
warning if you wish to be reminded of a particu
lar speed limit. This could be when driving in
countries with general speed limits, or if you
need to keep below a particular speed when
win
ter tyres are fitted, etc.
Setting speed limit warning
•
Select the following on the infotainment sys
tem:
IMENUI
button > Car > left control button
> Driver assist > Speed warning > manual.
© Note
- Please bear in mind that, even with the
speed warning function, it is still important
to keep a check on the car's speed with the
speedometer and to observe the statutory
speed limits.
- On vehicles for some markets, the speed
warning function warns you when you reach
a speed of 120 km/h. This speed limit warn
ing is preset at the factory.
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control system allows you to drive at a
constant speed of 20 km/h or
higher.
Fig.
94 Control lever for cruise control system
• Pull
the lever to position
®
<^>Fig.
94 to switch
on the system.
•
Drive at the speed you wish to set the system
to.
• Press the button marked ® to store the speed.
The indicator lamp
[3]
in the instrument cluster
will light up. Information is also provided in the
head-up display*.
The instrument cluster display will briefly
indi
cate the stored or
pre-selected
speed.
A constant speed is maintained by adjusting the
engine power or braking the vehicle accordingly.
WARNING
- Always direct your full attention to the
road,
even when you are using the cruise control
system.
It is always the driver who is re
sponsible for determining the speed and for
keeping a safe distance to the other vehicles
on the
road.
- For safety reasons, the cruise control sys
tem must not be used in city traffic, stop-
and-go traffic, on roads with a lot of bends
or in difficult or slippery driving conditions
(such as ice, fog, Loose grit or gravel, heavy
rain,
etc.) - risk of accident!
- When you take a turn-off, drive along a mo
torway exit lane or pass through roadwork
104
Driver assist systems
Automatic deactivation
Cruise control system: currently unavailable.
See owner's manual
The cruise control system has been automatically
deactivated because the system has detected a
fault which could impair its function. Try switch
ing the cruise control system on again later.
A WARNING
Do not resume the programmed cruising
speed if this is too high
for
the traffic condi
tions - this can cause accidents.
Speed Limiter
Description
Applies to: vehicles with speed limiter
®
LIM
•
km/h
|
Fig.
95 Speed limiter:
©
LIM
100
km/h
illustration
BFV-0268
LIM
100
km/h
At speeds above approximately 30 km/h, the
speed limiter helps prevent the driver from ex
ceeding a set cut-off
speed.
The indicator lamp
Q
Lights up as soon as you switch on the speed
limiter. Information is also provided in the head-
up display*.
Speed limiter displays
© - The speed limiter is in passive mode, but a
cut-off speed has
not
yet been set.
®
- The speed limiter is in passive mode, and a
set cut-off speed has been stored.
® - The speed limiter is activated. The indicator
lamp
BH
flashes briefly when the speed limiter is
applied.
A WARNING
- Always direct your full attention to the
road,
even when you are using the speed limiter.
It is always the driver who is responsible for
determining the speed and for keeping a
safe distance to the other vehicles on the
road.
- For safety reasons, the speed limiter must
not be used in adverse weather or difficult
driving conditions (such as ice, fog, loose
grit or gravel, heavy
rain,
etc.) - risk of
acci
dent!
- Only accelerate quickly or use the kick-down
feature when the visibility and weather
con
ditions are suitable, and when the road and
traffic conditions allow you do do so safely.
Before driving down a
long,
steep gradient, it
is advisable to reduce speed and select a low
er gear. In this way you will make use of the
engine braking effect and relieve the Load on
the brakes.
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with speed limiter
Fig.
96 Control lever for cruise control system (example)
•
Pull the lever to position © to switch the sys
tem on.
•
Applies to vehicles with cruise control system
or Audi adaptive cruise control: To switch to the
speed limiter, press the button
®1)
until the
driver message
QQ
Speed limiter: selected ap
pears in the instrument cluster. •
l)
On some equipment versions, the speed limiter is not
available and button
(B)
has no function.
106