brakes AUDI A3 2016 Owner´s Manual

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Audi side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Audi drive select (drive settings) . . . . . . . . 148
Parking systems
General information ............ .... .
Rear parking system .......... .. .... .
Parking system plus ...... ... .. .. .. .. . 151
151
152
152
Rearview camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Adjusting the display and the warning
tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 158
Notice about data recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and vehicle control
modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Electronic stabilization control (E5C) . . . . 159
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Electromechanical steering . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
All wheel drive (quattro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Energy management 164
Safety ... . .. .. ............. .. .. .. . 166
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Correct passenger seating positions . . . . . 167
Driver's and front passenger's footwell . . 171
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Storing cargo correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Why use safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System . 196
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Table of contents
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Securing child seats. ............... .. 219
LATCH system (Lower anchorages and
tethers for children) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Checking and Filling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Gasoline fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Diesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Selective catalytic reduction (AdBlue) . . . 234
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Service interval display 252
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Wheels ... .. .. .. .. ... ... .... ..... .. 253
T ire pressure monitoring system 271
Care and cleaning ......... ... .. .. 274
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 4
Cleaning and care information . . . . . . . . . 275
Placing your vehicle out of service . . . . . . 279
Do It Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Emergency a ssistance . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Trunk escape latch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Tire mobility kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Replacing wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Spare tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
3

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., -If the indicator light and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationary or after switch­
ing the ignition on,
check if you can release the
parking brake .
If you cannot release the park­
ing brake, see your authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility . If you can re ­
lease the parking brake and the message still
appears , see an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator light and message appear
while
driving ,
the hill start assist or emergency brak­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Do not park your vehicle
on hills and see an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
(USA models): If the
1111 and EiJ warning lights
turn on together, take your vehicle to an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty immediately to have the brake pads inspected
¢page 22.
There is also a warning tone when the lights turn
on.
A WARNING
- Read and follow the warnings in
¢ page 236, Working in the engine com­
partment before opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it turns on while driving, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an accident.
Stop the vehicle and do not continue driv­
ing. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function may
be malfunctioning. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This
could cause the rear of the vehicle to
swerve, which increases the risk that the ve­
hicle will slide. Do not continue driving. See
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
Instruments and indicator lights
PARK!<®>/~ Electromechanical parking
brake
If the - (USA models) I. (Canada models)
indicator light turns on, the parking brake was
set.
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, there is not enough braking power to se­
cure the vehicle. The brakes have overheated. The
vehicle could roll away even on a small incline.
-(USA models) /. (Canada models)
Please press brake pedal to release parking
brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the~ button at the same time,
or start driving with hill start assist
¢page 87,
Starting from a stop.
Iii Parking brake!
There is a malfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc ­
tion corrected.
Iii Parking brake: Limited functionality!
There is a malfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
!it]:jJ:j:J:13~ (USA models) / [§'J (Canada models)
Please release parking brake.
Release the parking brake if this message ap­
pears.
lt1:j:t:j:J;1:0 (USA models) / [§] (Canada models)
Parking brake auto release unavailable
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake.
IZ1:j:t:j:(;13~ (USA models) I [§'J (Canada models)
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
IIJ,,
19

Instruments and indicator lights
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, there is not enough braking power to se­
cure the vehicle. The brakes have overheated. The
veh icle could roll away even on a small incline.
11J;J:t :);J;1:0 (USA models) / ¢@'A Parking b rake is applied
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake if neces­
sary .
{D) Tips
For additional information on the parking
brake, refer to¢
page 85.
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant level!
• Park vehicle and check coolant level!
The coolant level is too low.
Do not continue driving and switch the engine
off.
Plug-in hybrid drive *: refer to
c!;> page 108.
Check the coolant leve l¢ page 244.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
¢
page 245. Only cont inue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle for a few minutes to
coo l off, until the indicator light turns off.
- If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
continue driving the vehicle. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Faci lity
for assistance.
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This inc reases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hea r
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any veh icle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
20
allow it to cool befo re working in the engine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found in ¢
page 236, Working in the
engine compartment .
Cl) Note
Do not continue driving if the . indicator
light turns on -this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
"l=7: Engine oil pressure
• Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the eng ine oil level¢
page 242.
-If the eng ine oi l level is too low, add engine oil
¢
page 240. Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off .
- If the engine oi l level is correct and the indica­
tor ligh t still turns on, turn the engine off and
do not cont inue driving. See an authorized Aud i
dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance .
(D Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an oil level in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regularly.
D Alternator/battery
• Alternator fault : battery is not being charg­
ed
There is a ma lfunction in the a lternator or the ve­
hicle electrical system.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly. Because the ve­
hicle battery is dra ining, turn off all unnecessary
electrical equ ipment such as the MMI. See your
authorized Aud i dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice
Facil ity if the battery cha rge level is too low.
(•) Low battery charge: Battery will be charged
while driving
The starting ability may be impaired .
If this message turns off after a litt le whi le, t he
battery ch a rged enough while driv ing.
liJJ,

Instruments and indicator lights
A WARNING
-
If the engine stops while dr iving, yo u w ill
need to use more fo rce to brake the vehicle .
T his increases the r is k of an accide nt. T here
w ill sti ll be power steering if the ignit ion is
switched on while the vehicle is rolling and
there is s ufficient batte ry charge. Othe rwise ,
yo u must use greate r fo rce whe n st eer ing .
;;,./ fj Electronic stabilization control (ESC)
and( §) anti-lock braking system (ABS)
If th e bl indica to r light blink s while dr iving, the
E S C or ASR (An ti- Sli p Reg ulation) is a ctive ly re gu­
lating .
I f th e
G1 indica to r li ght tur ns on, t he sys tem h as
s w itche d the ES C off. In this case, you ca n swi tch
t he ignition o ff and then on to switch the ESC on
again. The indicator light turns off when th e sys ­
tem is functioning fully .
Stabilization control (ESC) : sport. Warning! Re­
stricted stability
I f the II indicato r light turns on, ESC spor t
mo de was switc hed on using the
1.$ OFF I button
r=;,
page 160 . You ca n tur n th e ESC on again by
p ress the
1-~ O FF I button again.
Stabilization control (ESC): off . Warning! Re­
stricted stability
If t he Iii indicator ligh t tur ns on, the ESC was re ­
s tricted o r switched off using the
I !> OFF! button
r=;,
page 160 . The message ESC OFF also appears .
You can turn the ES C on aga in by press the
I.$ OFF I butto n ag ain .
The system switches on whe n the ign ition is
sw itched on . T he
II indicato r ligh t turns off
when the system is func tioning fully.
Stabilization control (ESC ) malfunction! See
owner 's manual
Stabilization control (ESC / ABS): malfunction!
See owner's manual
ABS malfunction! See owner's manual
l) - : U SA m ode ls onl y
22
If the bl ind icator light and the A BS indicato r
li ght
rJE (U SA mode ls)/ ti] (Canada models)
turn o n an d this message appears, there is a mal­
funct io n in the ABS system o r elec tronic differen­
tia l lock. This al so causes the ESC to malfunc tion .
T he bra kes still fu nction with their normal power,
but A BS is no t active .
D rive to an authori zed A udi dealer or authori zed
Aud i Service Fac ility immedi ate ly to have the
malfunction cor rected .
A WARNING
If the ... (USA models) tll (Canada mod ­
el s) bra ke system indicator light turns on to­
ge ther with the A BS and ESC indi ca tor ligh ts,
t he ABS/ ES C regula ting fu nction m ay have
failed . Functions t hat s tabilize the vehicle a re
no longer ava ila bl e. T his could cause the vehi ­
cle to swerve , which inc reases the risk that
the vehicle will sli de. Drive ca refully to t he
nearest aut horiz ed Aud i dea le r or a uthori zed
Audi Service Fac ility and have the malfunction
cor rected .
0) Tips
For additional in format ion on ESC and ABS ,
r efe r to r=;,
page 159 .
BRAKEt< O) Brake pads
... (USA models )
t El (Canada models )
Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your autho riz ed Audi deale r or qua lified
workshop to have all b rake pads inspected . Both
sets of brake pads on an axle must always be re­
placed at the same t ime .
A WARNING
Drivi ng w it h ba d brakes ca n cause a coll is ion
an d se rious person al in jury.
- I f the war ning lig ht
El or the wa rni ng
light ...
ll wi th th e mes sage Brake pads!
co m es on in th e ins trumen t clus ter di spl ay, ..,.

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Driving
General information
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and afterwards
The new engine needs to be run-in during the
first 1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 mile s (1,000 kilom eter s):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.,. Avo id high engine speeds .
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1 ,500 kilomete rs ):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm issible road or engine speed.
During and aft er bre ak-in pe riod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold. This applies whether the transmission is
in
N (Neutral) or in gear .
After th e br eak-in p eriod
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances .
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
ing the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale
opage 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well this
break-in process is done depends to a considera­
b le extent on the way the veh icle is driven during
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
CD Note
Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati­
cally reduced. However, these rpm lim its are
programmed for an engine well run-in, not a
new engine.
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not dr ive with unnecessarily high eng ine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
D riv ing
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avo id vehicle damage when
driv ing th rough water, for example on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body .
- Do not drive faster than walk ing speed .
.&, WARNING ..__
After driv ing through water or mud, the brak­
i ng effect can be reduced d ue to moistu re on
the brake d iscs and bra ke pads. A few careful
brake applications should dry off the brakes.
CD Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension o r electrical system
can be severely damaged by d riving throug h
water.
(D Tips
- Determine the depth before dr iving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, d rive in reverse or
switch t he engine off when d riving through
water .
- Keep in mind that oncom ing vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
ma ke it too deep for yo ur vehicle to drive
through safe ly.
- Avoid dr iv ing th rough salt wate r (cor rosion) .
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and wear
on your engine, brakes and t ires largely depend
on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operat ing cond itions
- technical limitations
77

Driving
brake provides various convenience and safety
functions.
When starting from a stop
- The integral hill start assist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the parking
brake
c:;, page 87, Starting from a stop.
- When starting on inclines, the hill start assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll­
ing back. The braking force of the parking brake
is not released until the wheels build up
enough driving force.
Emergency brake function
The emergency braking function ensures that the
vehicle can be slowed down even if the
standard
brakes fail c:;, page 87, Emergency braking
function.
A WARNING
- Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver­
tently when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running and a gear is selected.
Otherwise the vehicle will start to move im­
mediately and could result in a crash.
- If the power supply fails, the released park­
ing brake can no longer engage. In this
case, park the vehicle on level ground and
secure it by placing the selector lever in the
P position . See an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance.
(D Note
If the . or .. (USA models) /. (Canada
models) indicator light in the instrument
cluster blinks, there is a malfunction in the
brake system. Refer to the detailed descrip­
tion of the indicator lights
c:;, page 18.
-If the - (USA models) /. (Cana-
da models) or
Ill indicator light turns on,
there is a malfunction in the parking brake
c;, page 19.
@ Tips
-If the parking brake is set while the ignition
is switched off, the
¢~jj indicator light in the
button and in the instrument cluster dis-
86
play - (USA models) /. (Canada mod­
els) will turn off after a certain amount of
time.
- If driver's door is opened while the ignition
is switched on, the parking brake sets auto­
matically. This prevents unintended rolling
of the vehicle.
- Occasional noises when the parking brake is
set and released are normal and are not a
cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at regu­
lar intervals. Any noises associated with this
are normal.
- If there is a power failure, the parking brake
will not set if it is released, and it will not release if it is set
c:;, I!:::,. . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­ cility for assistance.
· Parking
.,. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
.,. Pull the switch @
c:;, page 85, fig. 80 to set the
parking brake.
.,. Place the selector lever in the P position.
.,. Turn the engine off
c:;, & -
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in­
clines so that the wheels will roll into the curb
if the vehicle starts moving.
A WARNING
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even for a short period
of time . This applies particularly when chil­
dren remain in the vehicle. Otherwise chil­
dren could start the engine, release the
parking brake or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one -particu­
larly not children -should remain in the ve­
hicle. Locked doors make it more difficult
for emergency workers to get into the vehi­
cle, which puts lives at risk.

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Starting from a stop
The start assist function ensures that the park­
ing brake is released automatically upon start­
ing.
Stopp ing and sett ing the p arking br ake
.. Pull the switch@¢ page 85, fig. 80 to set the
parking brake.
Starting and aut omatically rele asing the
par king b rake
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the driver's safety belt must be fastened.
.. When you press the accelerator pedal, the
parking brake is automatically released and
your vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping in
city traffic, the parking brake can be applied . The
vehicle does not have to be he ld with the brake
pedal. The parking brake eliminates the tendency
to creep when a selector lever pos ition is engag­
ed. As soon as you press the accelerator pedal,
the park ing brake re leases automatically and the
vehicle starts to move.
Starting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the hill start assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally rolling
back . T he braking force of the parking brake is
not released until the wheels bu ild up enough
d riving force.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the dr iver's
safety belt is fastened and the dr iver's door is
loc ked.
Emergency braking function
In the event that the conventional brake system
fails or locks.
.. To brake your vehicle in an emergency, pull the
@ switch¢
page 85, fig. 80 and hold it pulled.
.,. As soon as you release the @switch or acce le r­
ate, the brak ing p rocess stops.
D riv ing
Pu lling and ho lding the @switch while driving at
a speed of about 2 mph (3 km/h) or higher ini­
t iates the emergency braking funct ion. The vehi­
cle brakes at all four wheels by activating the
braking hydraulics. The brake performance is
s imilar to heavy braking. ¢
&
To help prevent act ivat ing the emergency braking
by mistake, an aud ible warn ing tone (buzzer)
sounds when the @switch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as the @switch is released
or the accelerator pedal is pressed.
A WARNING ,__ -Emergency braking should only be used in an
emergency, when the normal brake pedal has
failed or the brake pedal is obstructed. Du ring
emergency braking, your veh icle wi ll brake
similar to heavy braking. ESC and the associ­
ated components (ABS, ASR, ED L) cannot
overcome the laws of physics. In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad, a
fu ll brake application can cause the vehicle to
skid or the rear end to break away, which in­
creases the r isk of an accident.
Hill hold
Applies to vehicles: wit h Hill Ho ld
Hill hold makes it easier to start on hills .
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the engine must be running.
The system is activated when the brake pedal is pressed while the vehicle is stationary.
T o prevent the vehicle from rolling back when
starting, the brake power is held for a brief mo­
ment after re leasing the brake pedal. During this
time, you can easily begin to move your vehicle .
A WARNING
--
-The intelligent technology of Hill Hold can­
not overcome the limitat ions imposed by
natural phys ical laws. The increased comfort
offe red by Hill Hold shou ld not cause you to
take safety risks.
~
87

Automatic transmissio n
Stopp ing /park ing
If the se lecto r lever is not in the P posit ion when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll .
In vehicles with a convenience key*, the message:
Shift to P , vehicle can roll away . Doors c an be
lo cked onl y in P
appears. You will a lso hear a
warn ing tone.
... Press and hold the brake pedal¢_&. .
... Set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the P selector lever position.
Stopp ing on an inclin e
.,. Always press the brake peda l to hold the vehi ­
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢ _&. . Do
not try to prevent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing the engine speed ¢(D.
Starting on an inclin e in vehicl es without Hill
H old *
... Set the parking brake.
.,. With the driving gear selected, press the acce l­
erator pedal carefully. The parking brake re­
leases automatically . Requirement : the driver's
door must be closed and the driver's safety belt must be fastened .
Starting on an incline in veh icles with Hill
Hold*
.,. With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the accel­
erator pedal~
page 87, Hill hold.
Under certain c ircumstances, (such as driv ing in
the mountains or towing a trailer), it may be use­
fu l to sw itch temporarily to the manua l shift p ro­
g ram in o rde r to adjust the gea rs to the driving
conditions by hand
c:? page 94.
When parking on a level surface, simply place the
selecto r leve r in the P position. On inclines, act i­
vate the parking brake first and then move the
selector lever to the P posi tion
~ page 85. This
prevents the loc king mechanism from being
loaded too heav ily and wi ll make it easier to
move the selector lever out of the P position.
92
A WARNING
- The vehicle can roll even when the engine is
sw itched off.
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
serious injuries.
- Never leave your veh icle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running, set
the park ing brake and move the selector lev­
er to the P posit ion.
- Power is still transferred to the wheels when the engine is running at idle . To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", yo u must
keep your foot on t he b rake when the en­
gine is ru nning and the selector lever is in
the D, Sor R position or "tip tronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not inadve rten tly p ress the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is stationary. Other ­
wise the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
- Do not press the acce lerator pedal when
changing the selector lever posit ion while
the vehicle is stat ionary and the engine is
running.
- Never engage the R or P selector level pos i­
tions while dr iv ing. It could cause a crash.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce your speed and shift into a lower gear w ith
"t i ptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake pedal too often o r too long when dr iv ing
downhill. Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and substant ially re­
duces bra king performance, increases b rak­
ing d istance or causes comp lete failure of
the bra ke sys tem.
- If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in place w ith the foot brake or
p ar king bra ke to p revent it from rolling
back.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clu tch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
over load . T he
l§1 indicator light turns on

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., and a message appears ¢ page 95 when
the clutch is over loaded.
- If the engine must run while you are work­
ing in the engine compartment with the
hood open, make sure a gear is not engag­
ed. The selector lever must be firmly in the
P position and locked in place and the park­
ing brake must be set¢
page 236. Other­
w ise, the vehicle could begin moving when
the engine speed is high, even w ith the
par king brake set.
(D Note
- When stopping on a n incline, do not t ry to
ho ld the vehicle in place by press ing the ac­
ce le ra to r pedal wh ile a driv ing gear is se­
l ected. This can ca u se the au toma tic trans­
mission to overheat and can damage it. Set
the pa rking brake or press the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from ro lling .
- Allow ing the vehicle to ro ll when the eng ine
is stopped and the se lector lever is in the N
pos ition w ill damage the automatic trans­
mission because it is not l ubricated under
those circumstances.
- The transmiss ion can overheat and be dam­
aged under certain driving and traffic condi­
tions such as frequent starts , creeping for a
l ong time, or stop-and-go traffic. When t he
mJ o r. indicator light tu rns o n, s top the
vehicle at the next oppo rt u nity and let the
transm issio n coo l
¢page 95 .
-Allow ing the ve hicle to ro ll when the eng ine
i s s topped w ill damage the S tro nic trans­
mission because it is not lubric ated
¢ page 297, Towing with a tow truck .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking b rake releases
au tomatically on ly w hen the dr iver's door is
closed and driver's sa fe ty belt is fastened.
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
Hill descent control
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills.
Hill descent control is act ivated when the se lec­
tor lever is in the D or S position and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is su itable for the incline . H ill
descent con trol tr ies to maintain the speed ach­
i eved a t the time of braking, w it hi n physi cal a nd
technical lim itations . If may s till be necessary to
adjus t the speed w ith the bra kes . Because hill de­
scent control cannot shift down farthe r 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 decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cru ise con trol system*
¢ page 130, hill descent control is a lso activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
-Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitat ions, so it may not be able to ma intain
a constant speed under all conditions. A lways
be ready to app ly the brakes.
93

e-tron
Setting plug-in hybrid drive modes
Applies to vehicles: w ith p lug -in hybrid drive
Fig. 90 Center console : but ton &
You can change modes when the vehicle is sta­
tionary or while driving. If the vehicle operating
conditions will not allow you to set the mode manually, the last active mode is se lected .
.,. Press the
laV I button repeatedly until the de­
sired mode is displayed in the instrument clus­
ter . Or :
.,. Select the mode in the MMI
n: press the
I MENU I function button> Car > Systems con­
trol button >
e-tron mode and select the de­
s ir ed mode .
The active mode is displayed the first time the
14 "1
button is pressed .
Plug-in hybrid functions
Applies to veh icles: with p lug -in hybrid drive
The functions described below activate automati­
cally depending on the driving style.
Full acceleration (boost)
The boost funct ion is act ivated by pressing the
accelerator pedal farther down (kick-down). The
l) Not availa ble in a ll Info ta inm en t sy ste m s.
104
vehicle is powered by both the gasoline eng ine
and the e lectric motor when in fu ll acce leration.
Boost is only ava ilable for a short time because it
uses a large amount of energy. Availability de ­
pends on the high-voltage battery charge level.
Coasting
The gasoline engine switches off and disengages
at speeds up to approximate ly 112 mph
(180 km/h) if the acce lerator pedal is not press­
ed and the D position is selected. Driving conser­
vatively like this can reduce fuel consumption .
Energy recovery (recuperation)
When braking, the electric motor will act as a
generator creating electric energy that is then
stored in the high-voltage battery . This also oc­
curs when the vehicle is coasting or driving down­
hill.
If the brakes are applied early and evenly, the electric motor w ill brake the vehicle @
¢page 101 , fig. 88. By doing this , a large
amount of the kinetic energy is recovered and
may be stored as e lectric energy in the high -volt ­
age battery . The conventional brakes are also ac­
tivated when the brakes are pressed very hard.
The strength of recuperation can depend on the
following factors:
- If you are in tiptronic mode
Q page 94 . Or
- If the sport driving mode 5 was selected.
The ene rgy recovery is shown in the energy flow
i ndica tor in the in str ument cluster display
¢page 106 .