brakes AUDI A3 2015 User Guide

.. Automa tic transmission: To activate the reg ­
ulation while stationary , you must press the
brake pedal.
Switching adaptiv e cruise control off
.. Push the lever away from you into position
@ until it cl icks into p lace. The message
A CC: off appears.
The stored speed in the L ED line is erased.
@ Indicato r lights
II -adaptive cruise contro l is switched on . No
objects are detected ahead. The sto red speed
is ma inta ined .
• -An object ahead was detected . The adap­
tive cruise control system regulates the speed
and distance to the object ahead and brakes/
accelerates automatica lly.
fai -Automatic transmission: The adapt ive
cr uise control is switched on . An object ahead
was detected. Your vehicle remains stopped
and will not start driving automatically .
• -The automatic brak ing is not eno ugh to
maintain a sufficient d istance to an object
ahead . Yo u must intervene
¢ page 88, Re­
quest for driver intervention.
© Instrument cluster display
I f adap tive cruise contro l is not shown in the
instr ument cluster disp lay, you ca n call it up
using the mu ltifunction steering wheel but ­
tons
¢ page 2 7 .
B ased on t he g raphics in the display, you can
dete rmine if the system is maintaining a dis­
tance to a veh icle ahead and what that dis ­
tance to this vehicle is:
N o vehicle -No object ahead was detec ted .
White vehicle -An object ahead was detected .
Red vehicle -Request for the dr iver to take ac­
t ion ¢
page 88 .
Both arrows on the scale © indicate the dis­
tance to the object ahead. No arrow appears
when the vehicle is on an open road and there
Audi ad apti ve crui se control 85
is no object ahead. If an object is detected
ahead, the ar row moves on t he scale.
T he green zone on t he sca le indicates the
store dis tance . Fo r informa tion on chang ing
the distance, refe r to ¢
page 87. If the dis ­
tance selected is exceeded or not reached, the
arrow moves into the red zone on the scale.
_& WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisi ons, other accidents
a nd se rious personal injur ies.
- Automatic transmission: If you press the
ISETI butto n when dr iv ing at speeds be­
low 20 mph (30 km/h) , the veh icle accel ­
erates au tomatically up to 20 mph
(30 km/h), which is the mi nimum speed
th at can be set.
{i) Tips
- If you switch the ignit ion or the adaptive
cruise cont rol system off, the set speed
is e rased fo r safety reason.
- With the adaptive cruise control activat­
ed the ESC spo rt mod e cannot be activat­
ed.
- The e lectronic stab ilizat ion cont ro l (E SC)
and the anti-slip-regulat ion (ASR) are a u­
t oma tic a lly turned on w hen the adapt ive
c ruise cont ro l is turned on. Bot h sys tems
canno t be turned off if the a daptive
cruise cont rol is turned on .
Changing the speed
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cru ise control
0
f
jJ
0
Fi g. 76 Operat ing leve r: c ha ng in g the spee d
0)
"' 0 i.
" a,

86 Audi adaptive cruise control
• To increase or reduce the speed in incre­
ments,
tap the lever up or down .
• To increase or decrease the speed quickly,
hold the lever up or down until the red LED
@ reaches the desired speed c:> page 84,
fig. 75.
After each change, the new stored speed ap­
pears briefly in the information line
c:;, page 84 , fig. 75 @.
Driving in stop-and-go traffic
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive cruise control system assists you
in stop-and-go traffic.
If an object that is de­
tected ahead stops, you r vehicle will brake
and stay at a stop , wi th in the limits of the sys­
tem .
Starting with adaptive cruise control 1l
If you veh icle brakes to a stop because an ob­
ject is detected ahead,
ACC autom. go ap­
pears briefly in the instrument clus ter display
Your veh icle is in automatic start mode.
As long as the dr iver message
ACC autom. go
is displayed and the object detected ahead
starts to move, your vehicle will continue driv­
ing
c:> .&, .
You can activate ACC autom . go again by pull­
ing the lever to the position @
c:> page 86,
fig. 77
The start mode ACC autom. go ends when the
brake pedal is pressed .
Criteria for switching off
The adaptive cruise control sw itches off for
safety reasons when stationary :
- when the dr iver's door is open,
- when the vehicle is stationary for more than
3 m inutes,
- when the dr iver's safety be lt is not fastened .
ll This is not available in some countries .
A WARNING
-~
When the message ACC autom. go1l ap-
pears, the veh icle continues driving, even
i f there is an obstacle between your vehicle
and the object ahead . This increases the
risk of an accident .
(@ Tips
If adaptive cru ise control is active and your
vehicle does not start driving even though
the message
ACC autom . go1
) appears,
you can start by tapping the accelerator
pedal.
- If an obstacle is detected when your ve­
hicle starts driving, the system will
prompt you to take over
c:> page 88.
Your vehicle will drive more slowly when
starting. This may also happen in some
sit uations when no obstacle is apparent.
Interrupting cruise control
Applies to vehicles: wit h Audi adapt ive cruise control
Fig. 77 Op erat ing leve r
Requirement: The adaptive cruise control is
switched on.
Overriding cruise control
Overriding means exceeding the selected
speed when adaptive cruise control is active ,
for example whe n press ing the accelerator
pedal when passing.
• To accele rate manually, pull the lever to­
ward you into position @and hold it there .
The message
ACC: override appears. Or
• press the acce lerator pedal. ...

.. To resume cruise control, release the lever
or take your foot off the acce lerator pedal.
Interrupting cruise control while driving
.. Move the lever into position @. The mes­
sage
ACC: standby appears . Or
.. press the brake pedal.
.. To resume the stored speed, move the lever
into position @.
Interrupting cruise control when stopped
Applies to vehicles w ith an automatic trans­
mission:
.,. Push the lever away from you into position
@ . The message
ACC: standby appears.
.. To resume cruise control, press the brake
pedal and pull the lever toward you into po­
sition @.
_& WARNING
It is dangerous to activate cruise contro l
and resume the stored speed when the
current road, traffic or weather conditions
do not permit th is . This could result in a
crash .
Setting the distance
Appl ies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise co ntrol
Fig. 78 Opera tin g lev er: Se tting the d ista nce
-
.. Tap the switch to display the current set dis ­
tance
¢ fig . 78.
.. To increase or reduce the distance in incre­
ments, tap the switch again to the right or
left . The distance between the two vehicles
will change in the instrument cluster d is ­
play .
Audi adaptive cruise control 87
When approaching an object detected ahead,
the adaptive cruise control system brakes to
match that object's speed and then regulates
to the stored distance . If the object detected
ahead accelerates, adaptive cru ise control w ill
also accelerate up to the stored speed .
The hig her the speed, the greater the distance
in meters ¢
A. The Distance 3 setting is rec­
ommended. That is equal to the general rec­
ommendation of "half the speed shown on
the speedometer ".
The distances provided are example values. Depending on the driving situation, the cur­
rent speed and the way the object detected
ahead is driving, the actual distance may be
more o r less than these target distances .
o:;:::::,_o:;:::::, ___ Distance 1: This setting corre-
sponds to a d istance of 2 feet/ 28 meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time distance of 1 second .
o:;:::::, __ o:;:::::, __ Distance 2: This setting corre­
sponds to a d istance of 118 feet/ 36 meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time distance of 1.3 seconds.
o:;:::::, ___ o:;:::::,_ Distance 3: This setting corre-
sponds to a d istance of 164 feet/ 50 meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time distance of 1.8 seconds.
o:;:::::, ____ o:;:::::, Distance 4: This setting corre-
sponds to a d istance of 219 feet/ 67 meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time distance of 2 .4 seconds.
_& WARNING
Following other vehicles too closely in­
cre ases the risk of collisions and serious
personal injury.
- When setting the distance, you as the
driver are responsible for adhering to any
applicable local regulations .
(D Tips
Distance 3
is set automatically each time
you switch the ignition on.
It you would
like to have th is distance as a basic setting, .,..

90 Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense basic or Audi pre
sense front
Within the limits of the system, pre sense ba­
sic and pre sense front can initiate steps to
protect vehicle occupants in certain danger ­
ous situations.
Critical driving situations can be recognized by
the pre sense front via a network of different
vehicle systems and can take steps to prepare
the vehicle occupants for a potential collision.
The pre sense front works with a radar sensor
and a video camera*.
It also functions within
the limits of the system when adaptive cruise
control* is switched
off.
General information
General information
App lies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense front or Audi
adaptive cruise control
A WARNING
Also follow the general information found
on
~ page 82, General information.
Audi pre sense basic
Descript ion
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense basic
The function of the pre sense basic is activat­
ed at a speed of 10 mph (30 km/h) or higher.
The following functions can be triggered un­
der certain conditions within the limits of the
system:
- Tensioning of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking) : The front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a colli­
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to trigger again .
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (for
example, when over- or understeering): The
windows and the sunroof" close until there is only a small gap open. Audi drive select:
The deployment time is
adapted in dynamic mode.
A WARNING
-The pre sense basic cannot overcome natu- ral physical laws.
It is a system designed to
assist and it cannot prevent a collision. Do not let the increased safety provided
tempt you into taking risks. This could in­
crease your risk of a collision.
- The system can deploy incorrectly due to system-specific limits .
(D Tips
-Certain pre sense basic functions switch
off when ESC is switched off (sport
mode) or when driving in reverse .
- The pre sense basic functions may not be
available if there is a malfunction in the
ESC system or the airbag control mod­
ule .
- Note that with pre sense basic, the rever­
sible safety belt pretensioner on the
front passenger's side deactivates when
the front passenger's a irbag is deactivat­
ed.
Audi pre sense front
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense front or Audi
adapt ive cru ise control
Pre sense front informs you if the distance to
the vehicle ahead falls below the safe distance
for an extended period of time. It can warn of a possible collision and initiate braking ma­
neuvers, within the limits of the system .
When detected in time, the system can assess
dangerous situations where an object ahead
brakes suddenly or if your own vehicle is trav­
eling at a high speed and approaching an ob ­
ject that is moving more slow ly . If detection is
not possible, then pre sense front does not re ­
act.

Warnings
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense fro nt or Audi
adaptive cruise control
Fig . 80 Instrument cluster: approach warning
The system recognizes various dangerous sit­
uations:
- Vehicles with adaptive cruise control: The
distance warning occurs if you drive too
closely to the object ahead for a long period
of time.
If the object ahead brakes strongly,
you would not be able to avoid a collision.
The ind icator light . indicates this.
- The
approach warning occurs when an ob­
ject ahead is traveling more slowly or brakes
strongly. When this warning occurs, it may only be possible to avoid a collision by
swerving or braking strongly. The message
Audi pre sense. Distance c::> fig . 80 and a
warning tone will warn you about the dan­ ger. For vehicles with adaptive cruise con­
trol, the. indicator light also turns on.
If you do not react enough or not at all to a
dangerous s ituation that was detected by the
system, pre sense front provides assistance by
applying the brakes .
- If a collision is imminent, the system will
first provide an
acute warning by braking
sharply. You will also be made aware of the
danger by the instrument cluster display
c::> fig. 80. For vehicles with adaptive cruise
control, the. indicator light also turns on .
-If you do not react to the acute warning, pre
sense front can brake with increasing force
within the limits of the system
l)_ This re­
duces the vehicle speed in the event of a col-
l l This is not available in some countries .
Audi pre sense 91
lision. The message Audi pre sense -Input
also appears.
- At low driving speeds, pre sense front can
begin complete deceleration shortly before
a collision
l) .
-If pre sense front determines that you are
not braking strongly enough when a colli­
sion is imminent, it can increase the braking
force.
A WARNING
--- Pre sense front cannot overcome natural
physical laws.
It is a system designed to
assist and it cannot prevent a collision .
The driver must always intervene. The driver is always responsible for braking
at the correct t ime. Do not let the in­
creased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks. This could increase your risk
of a collision.
- The system can deploy incorrectly due to
system-specific limits .
- Please note that the sensor does not al­
ways detect all objects . This increases
the risk of a collision.
- Pre sense front does not react to people
or animals or objects that are crossing
the vehicle's path or are difficult to de­
tect
c::> page 82, General Information.
- Reflective objects such as guard rails or
the entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain and
ice can affect the function of the radar
sensor and the system's ability to detect
a collision risk .
- Lack of attention can cause collisions,
other accidents and serious personal in­
juries. The pre sense front is an assist
system and cannot prevent a collis ion by
itself. The driver must always intervene.
The driver is always responsib le for brak­
ing at the correct time.
- Always pay close attention to traffic,
even when the pre sense front is switch-
ed on. Be ready to intervene and be ready .,_

108 Automatic transmi ssion
Stopp ing /p ar kin g
If the selec tor lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could ro ll. In vehicles with a convenience key*,
the message:
Shift to P , other wise vehi cle
c a n roll away . Doo rs do not lo ck if le ver not
in
P appears. You will also hear a warning
tone .
"' Press and ho ld the brake pedal¢.&_ .
"' Set the parking brake.
"'Se lect the P selector lever pos ition.
St opp ing on an incline
• Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve ­
hicle in p lace and prevent it from "rolling
back" ¢ .&_ . Do
n ot try to prevent the vehi­
cle from "roll ing back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing the eng ine speed ¢(D.
Starting on an inclin e in vehicl es wi th out
Hill Hold*
"' Set the parking brake.
"' With the driving gear selected, press the ac­
celerator pedal carefully . The parking brake
will release automat ically if your safety belt
is fastened.
St arting on an incl ine i n vehicle s with Hill
Hold*
"' With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the ac­ cele rato r pedal ¢
page 78, Hill hold.
Under certain circumstances, (such as driving
in the mountains or towing a tra iler), it may
be usefu l to sw itch temporarily to the manual
shift p rogram in o rder to adjust the gears to
the dr iving condit ions by ha nd
¢ page 110.
When parking on a level surface, simply place
the selector lever in the P pos ition. On in­
clines , activate the parking bra ke first and
then move the selector lever to the P pos it ion
¢ page 76 . This prevents the locking mecha­
nism from being loaded too heavi ly and will
make it easier to move the selector lever out
of the P position.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine running while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running,
set the parking brake and move these­
lector lever to the P position .
- Power is still transferred to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle. To
p revent the vehicle from "c reeping", you
must keep you r foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector lever is in the D, So r R position or "tip­
tronic" mode is selected .
- Do not inadvertently press the ac celera­
tor peda l when the vehicle is stationary.
Otherwise the vehicle wi ll start to move
immediate ly, even if the parking brake is
set. Th is could result in a crash.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position
while the veh icle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never engage the se lector level positions
R or P while dr iv ing. It could cause a
crash .
- Before driving down a steep slope, re­
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic" .
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
downhill . Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking pe rformance, increases
b rak ing distan ce or c auses complete fa il­
ure of the brake system.
- I f you must stop on an in cl ine, always
hold the vehicle i n place with the foot
brake or park ing brake to p revent it from
rolling back .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto ­
matica lly when it becomes too hot from

the overload. The ml indicator light
turns on and a message appears
Q page 111 when the clutch is overload­
ed .
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood . Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
Q page 210. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake set.
(y Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat and can dam­
age it. Set the parking brake or press the
brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped and th@ selector lever is
in the N position will damage the auto­
matic transmission because it is not lu­
bricated under those circumstances .
- The transmission can overheat and be
damaged under certain driving and traf­
fic conditions such as frequent starts,
creeping for a long time , or stop-and-go
traffic. When the
ml or . indicator
light turns on, stop the vehicle at the
next opportunity and let the transmis­
sion cool
r::!> page 111.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped will damage the S tronic
transmission because it is not lubricated
<=> page 261, Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck .
For safety reasons, the parking brake re­
leases automatically only when the driver's
door is closed and driver's safety belt is
fastened.
Automatic transmission 109
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th S tronic tra nsmi ssio n
Hill descent control assists the driver when
driving down inclines .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in the D or S position and you
press the brake pedal. The transmission auto ­
matically selects a gear that is suitable for the
incline. Hill descent control tries to maintain
the speed achieved at the time of braking,
within physical and technical limitations. If
may still be necessary to adjust the speed
with the brakes . Because hill descent control
cannot sh ift down farther than 3rd gear, it
may be necessary to shift into tiptronic mode
in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st
or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en­ gine's braking force to relieve the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the in­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
Q page 79, hill descent control is also activat­
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING
-
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes .
•

Smart Technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorde r (EO R), installed by some manu­
facture rs fo r the express purpose o f capturing
data for retr ieval after an accident or cras h
event . EDR's a re sometimes called "crash re ­
corders".
Some state laws res trict the retr ieval or down ­
l oadi ng of data stored by E DR's that were in ­
stalled in a veh icle for the exp ress purpose of
retrieving data after an accide nt or crash
event w ithout the owner's consent.
A lthough yo ur vehicle is no t equ ipped w it h an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of elect ron­
ic control modules fo r various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine f unction, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belt s.
These electronic contro l modules also record
veh icle -re lated data dur ing no rma l veh icle op­
erat ion for d iagnostic and repa ir purposes .
T he recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re ­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded ove r a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a sys tem faul t or o ther
condition is se nse d by a cont rol u nit. Some o f
the data then stored may re la te to vehicle
speed, dir ect io n, bra king as we ll as restra int
system use and perfo rmance in the event of a
crash or other condit ion. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded w ith special equip­
ment.
Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
The ESC reinforces driver safety. It reduces
the r isk of slipp ing and improves driving sta ­
b ili ty . E SC detects cr itical s it u ations such as
the veh icle ove rsteer ing and understee ring or
Smart Technolog y 185
th e wheels a re sp inning . The vehicle is stabi ­
li zed by applying the brakes or red ucing en­
gine torq ue. Once the ESC is act ive ly reg ulat­
ing, the
G) i ndicato r light b links in the instru­
ment cluster.
The anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake as­ s ist system, ant i-slip regu lation (ASR), e lec­
tron ic different ia l loc k (EDU, electron ic differ ­
ential lock* (front wheel drive) and se lective
whee l to rque control* (a ll whee l drive) are in­
teg rated in the ESC. The ESC suppo rts the sta­
bilization of the vehicle th rough a change in
t h e s teer ing torq ue.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking when
braking . The vehicle ca n still be steered even
dur ing ha rd braking. App ly steady pressure to
the b rake peda l. Do not pump the p edal. A
puls ing in the bra ke peda l indicates t hat the
system is acting to st abil ize the ve hicle.
Brake assist system
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking
dis tance. It increases bra king power when the
drive r presses the bra ke peda l quickly in emer­
gency s ituations. Yo u m ust pres s and hol d the
brake pedal unt il the dangerous s it u at ion is
ove r. In vehicles with adap tive c ruise control *,
the b rake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive
whee ls beg in spi nning and adapts the fo rce to
the road conditions . This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and dr ive up inclines.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL bra kes whee ls tha t a re sp inning and
trans fers the dr ive power to the othe r drive
whee l or w heels if the vehicle is equ ip ped with
a ll w heel d rive*) . This function is availab le up
to approximately 62 mph (100 km/h).
I n extreme cases, EDL au toma tically sw itches
off to keep t he b rake on the bra ked wheel
from overheat ing. The ve hicle is still working .,..
•
•
•

Smart Technology 187
Switching ESC on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 143 Upper center console: ESC button
bilization function of the ESC is limited or
switched off. The amount of stabilization con­
tro l will differ depending on the level.
In the following unusual situations it may
make sense to switch the ESC sport mode on
to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose gro und
The ESC is designed to function in levels. De­
pending on the leve l that is selected, the sta-
Sport mode on ESC
/ASR off
Sport mode off or
ESC /ASRon
Behavior
The actions taken by the
The actions taken by the Th
e fu ll stabilization fu nc-
ESC system to stabilize the ESC system to stab ilize the tion of the ESC and ASR is
vehicle are limited, the an- vehicle are very limited, available again.
ti-slip reg ulation (ASR) is the anti-slip regulation
sw itched off
q .&.. (ASR) is switched off q .&. .
Operation Press the If) OFF I button P ress and hold the If) OFFI Press the I.$ OFF I button
briefly. button longer than 3 sec- again.
onds.
Indicator II turns on. II and II * turn on . II turns off or II and
lights II* turn off.
Driver mes-
Stabilization control Stabilization control
Stabilization control
sages (ESC):
sport. Warning! (ESC): off. Warning! Re- (ESC): on
Restricted stability stricted stability
A WARNING
You should only sw itch the ESC off if your
driving ability and the traffic s ituation al­
low. This could increase the risk of slip­
ping.
- The stabilizing function is limited in ESC
sport mode. The driving wheels could
spin and the vehicle could swerve, espe­
cially on slick o r slipp ery road surfaces .
- T here is no vehicle stabilizat ion when
ESC/ASR are switched off.
@ Tips
-If Audi magnet ic ride is malfunctioning,
the ESC sport mode cannot be switched on or off. If ESC sport mode is activated
or ESC is switched off, it w
ill be switched
back on automatically.
- ESC sport mode cannot be switched on
or the ESC/ASR cannot be switched off
when the cru ise contro l system* or the
adaptive cru ise contro l* are actively reg­
ulat ing.
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full brak­
ing effect during the first 400 km. They must
be "broken in" first. However, you can com­
pensate fo r the slightly reduced braking force ""

188 Smart Technology
by pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking during the break-in period.
Wear Brake pad
wear is largely dependent on the
way the vehicle is driven and on operating
conditions. This is especially true if you are
driving frequently in the city and on curves or
with a sporty driving style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight
condensation or after washing your car, the
braking effect can be reduced by moisture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads. The
brakes must be "dried" first with a few careful
brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wip­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This action which is not felt by the driver hap­
pens at regular intervals and facilitates a bet­
ter reaction time for the brakes in wet weath­
er.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you
are driving on salted roads and you do not ap­ ply the brakes for long periods of time. The
layer of salt on the brake rotors and pads
must be worn off first when the brakes are ap­
plied.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mileage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake ro ­
tors and dirty brake pads.
If you usually avoid heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present, occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the
brake rotors and pads
Q &. .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal travel has
suddenly gotten larger, then a brake circuit
may have failed. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the problem corrected. On the way
there, drive with reduced speed and keep in
mind that a long braking distance and in­
creased pressure on the brake pedal will be
necessary.
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunc­
tions in the brake system may occur. The brake fluid level is electronically monitored .
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It only works when
the engine is running.
A WARNING
-- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes