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
©
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
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).
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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
Driving
CO
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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
Towing a trailer
Towing a trailer
Driving the vehicle with a
trailer or caravan
Technical requirements
The
towing bracket must comply with certain
technical requirements.
Your car is intended mainly for transporting pas
sengers and luggage. However, if suitably equip
ped,
it can also be used to tow a trailer or cara
van.
If the car is supplied with a factory-fitted towing
bracket it will already have the necessary techni
cal modifications and meet the statutory require
ments.
A 13-pin socket is provided to make the electrical
connection between the car and the trailer. If the
trailer you wish to tow has a 7-pin plug, the nec
essary adapter cable can be obtained from a spe
cialist retailer.
If
a
towing bracket is to be fitted after the car is
purchased,
this must be done according to the in
structions of the towing bracket manufacturer
^page
102.
A WARNING
If
a
towing bracket is retrofitted, the installa
tion should be carried out by
a
qualified work
shop.
- In particular in high outside temperatures it
is not possible to drive up long steep gradi
ents without
a
suitable cooling system. The
engine would then overheat.
- Incorrect installation can result in a safety
risk.
Points to check before towing
There are a number of points which need to be
checked before towing a trailer or caravan.
*•
Observe the maximum permitted trailer
weights
^>page
342.
Trailer weights
Never exceed the maximum permitted trailer
weights.
If
you
do not load the trailer up to the maximum
permitted trailer weight, you can then climb cor
respondingly steeper gradients.
The maximum trailer weights listed are only ap
plicable for altitudes up to 1000 m above sea
level.
With increasing altitude the engine power
and therefore the car's climbing ability are im
paired because of the reduced air density, so the
maximum trailer weight has to be reduced ac
cordingly. The weight of the car and trailer must
be reduced by about 10% for every further
1000 m (or part thereof). This figure refers to
the combined weight of the (loaded) vehicle and
(Loaded) trailer.
The figures for the draw bar weight that appear
on the identification plate of the towing bracket
are for certification purposes only. The correct
figures for your specific model, which may be
lower than these figures for the towing bracket,
are given in the registration documents and in
•=>
page 343.
Drive select*
Please note that the
efficiency*
mode is not
available in towing mode.
Exterior lights
Before starting
a
journey, make sure that all the
lights for the trailer are working properly.
Distributing the load
Distribute loads in the trailer so that heavy ob
jects are as near to the axle as possible. Loads
carried in the trailer must be secured to prevent
them slipping. A badly distributed load can also
affect handling. This can activate the trailer sta
bilisation feature and cause the vehicle to reduce
speed.
Where possible, operate the trailer with the max
imum permitted draw bar weight on the ball
joint of the towing bracket, but do not exceed the
specified limit. •
96
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