mmi AUDI A4 2015 Owner's Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2015, Model line: A4, Model: AUDI A4 2015Pages: 304, PDF Size: 74.86 MB
Page 115 of 304

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-Improper reliance on the side assist sys
tem can cause collisions and serious
personal injury:
- Never rely only on side assist when
ch anging lanes.
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side ass ist cannot detect a ll vehicles un
der all cond itions- dange r of accident!
- Please note that side assist indicates
ther e ar e approaching vehicles, o r
vehicles in your bli nd spot, o nly afte r
yo ur vehicle has r eached a driving speed
o f at least 19 mph (30 km/h).
- In certain s ituati ons, the system may not
f unc tion or its funct io n may be lim ited.
For example:
- if veh icles are approaching or be ing left
behind very quick ly. The display may
not turn on in time.
- in poor weather condit ions such as
heavy ra in, snow or heavy m ist .
- on very wide lanes, i n tight curves or if
there is a rise in the road surface .
Vehicles in the adjacent lane may not
be detec ted becaus e they are outside
of t he senso r range.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts o r
damage to the bumper, whee l housing and
unde rbody. This can affect the system .
Have your author ized Audi dealer or au
t hori zed A udi Service Fa cility check the ir
function.
(D Tips
- If the window g lass in t he d river's doo r
or front passe nger's door h as bee n tint
ed, the disp lay in the exterior m irror may
be misinterpre ted.
- Fo r De clarat ion of Compliance to Uni ted
Sta tes FCC and Indus try Canada regula
tions~
page 286.
Aud i side assist 113
Activating and deactivating
A pp lies to vehicles : wi th Aud i side ass ist
F ig. 128 D river 's doo r: Side ass is t button
.,. Press the b utton ~ A in General informa
tion on page 112
to switch the system on/
off . The LED in the button turns on when
side assist is switched on.
Adjusting the display brightness
A pp lies to vehicles: wi th Audi side ass ist
The signal brightness can be set in the radio
orMMI* .
.,. Select: !CAR ! function button > Audi side as
sist .
.,. Select: I CAR I function button > Car systems *
control button > Driv er a ssist > Audi side
as sis t.
The display br ightness adjusts automatically
to the brig htness of the sur roundings, both in
the info rmation and in the warning stage . In
very dark or very bright su rroundings, the dis
play is already se t to the m inimum or maxi
mum level by t he autom atic adjus tme nt. I n
s uch cases, you may notice no change when
adjusting t he b rig htness, or the change may
only be noticeable once the s urroundings
change.
Adjus t the brightness to a leve l where the dis
play i n the information stage w ill not d is rupt
your view forward . If you change the bright
ness, the display in the exterior mirror will
briefly show the brightness level in the infor
mation stage. The brightness of the warning
stage is linked to the brightness in the i nfor
mation stage and is adjusted along with the
i nformation stage adjustment. ..,_
Page 118 of 304

116 Audi drive select
- Fo r vehicles wi th an automatic t ransmis
s io n, select ing t he
Dynamic mode re
s ul ts in sporty shift ing characteristics .
The S gear posit io n engages a utomat i
ca lly.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering *,
operating noise is heard when starting or
st opping th e eng ine . Th is does not ind i
cate a problem .
Selecting the driving mode
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
You can choose between Comfort, Auto, Dy
namic
and Individual * modes.
drive I select ! __
Fig . 129 Cen te r co nsole: Contro l for Au di dri ve select
Fi g. 130 MM I•: Aud i dri ve se lect
Adjusting the Individual mode
Applies to vehicles: with MMI and Aud i drive select
.,. To set the mode, press the r.:i:.~ button
~ fig . 129 multi ple times until the des ired
mode is displayed in the instrument cl uster .
Or
.,. In the MMI", se lect:
ICA RI function butto n>
Comfort , Auto , Dynamic or Individual *.
In vehicles without the M MI* , the~: /;,~ button
is found underneat h the shift/se lecto r lever .
You can c hange t he d rivi ng mode whe n the ve
hicle is stationa ry or wh ile driving . If traffic
permits, after changing modes, br iefly take
yo ur foot off the acce le rator pedal so t hat the
r ecently selected m ode is a lso act ivated for
t h e e ngine and transm ission .
Comfort -provides a comfort-oriented veh icle
setup and is s uited fo r lo ng drives o n high
ways.
Auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy
nam ic dr iving fee l and is suited for every day
u se.
Dynamic -gives the dr iver a sporty d rivin g
f eel and is suited to a s porty driv ing style.
Individual * -¢page 116.
& WARNING
Pa y a tte ntion t o tra ffic whe n operati ng
dr ive select to pre vent potential risk of an
accident .
You can personally specify the vehicle setup in the MMI* .
.,. Se le ct th e ICAR I f unc tion bu tton > Set indi·
vidual
con trol but ton. Once y ou se le ct th e
m enu, you will automat ica lly d rive in the
in·
dividual
mode.
Systems Comfort
Engine /Transmission
ba lance d
Steering comfortable T
he e qui pment in you r vehicle will determi ne
wh ich se ttings yo u can adjust. The foll owing
t ab le p rov ides an o verview of the chara cteris
t ics of eac h driving mo de.
Auto Dynamic
balanced spo
rty
balanced sporty
Page 120 of 304

118 Park assist
Park assist
Parking system
Applies to vehicles: with pa rking system
Different park assist systems may be used for
parking or maneuvering, depending on the
vehicle's features.
Parking system (rear)*:
For the parking system (rear), the acoustic
park assist system is installed in the rear of
the vehicle
¢ page 118.
The rear parking assist system uses ultrason ic
sensors to determine the distance of the vehi
cle from a detected obstacle. There are a tota l
of four sensors located on the rear bumper
(two in the m iddle and two on the sides).
Parking system (rear, with rear view
camera)*:
For the parking system (rear, with rear view
camera),
the rear acoust ic park assist system
is integrated in the rear of the vehicle and the
rear view camera is integrated in the rear lid
¢page 121.
The parking system (rear, with rear view cam
era)
uses ultrasonic sensors to determine the
distance of the vehicle from a detected obsta
cle . There are a total of four sensors located
on the rear bumper (two in the middle and
two on the sides).
_& WARNING
Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc
tions as it may impair the sensor function.
For information on cleaning, refer to
qpage 202.
Parking system (rear)
Rear acoustic park assist
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear)
The rear acoustic park assist warns you of ob
stacles or objects behind your car .
Description
The rear acoustic parking assist system deter
mines the distance of the vehicle from an ob
stacle using ultrasonic sensors. There are 4
sensors in the rear bumper.
The range at which the sensors start to meas
ure is
about:
To the sid e 2 ft (0 .60 m)
Center rear 5.2 ft (1.60 m)
Activation
Acoustic parking assist is activated automati
ca lly when
reverse gear is engaged. A brief
tone confirms that the system is activated.
Warning tones
Distance warning is given by warn ing tones
wh ich are generated by the rear signa l genera
tor. The volume and the pitch of th e warning
tones can be adjusted in the MMI*
¢page 119.
Reversing
Distance warning when reversing starts when
an obstacle is detected in the range of the
parking assist system . As the distance de
creases, the time interval between the a udible
tones becomes shorter.
When the distance is less than 1ft (0.30 m),
the tone becomes continuous. At this point
you should stop backing up .
Please note that low objects already signalled
by a war ning can disappear from the system's
detection range and will not continue to be
signalled .
If the distance to an obstacle remains the
same, the vo lume of the distance warning is
gradually reduced after about 4 seconds (this
does not apply in the continous tone range).
ll-
Page 121 of 304

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0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Approaching another obstacle will result in
the distance warning sounding at the normal
volume aga in.
Malfunction s in the s ystem
If a war ning tone is audible for about five sec
onds when you turn on the ignit ion, there is a
mal function in the system. Have the problem
corrected by your authorized Audi dealer.
Keep t he sensors in the rear bumper clean and
free from ice so t hat the acoustic park assist
system can function properly.
A WARNING
- Sensors have dead spaces in which ob
jects cannot be detected. Be especially
alert for small children and animals ,
since they are not always detected by the
sensors.
- The acoust ic park ing system is not a sub
st itute for the d river's own caut io n and
alertness . Ultimate responsib ility always
remains with the driver during park ing
and simi lar maneuvers. Always watch
where you are dr iving .
- You should always adjust the volume and
frequency of the warning tones so that
yo u can easily hear the a co ustic distance
warning even if the radio is p laying, the
air-conditioner blower is on High or there
is a high leve l of outside noise.
- Check the settings whenever anyone
else has driven the vehicle before you.
- Remember that low obstacles for wh ich
-
a war ning has a lready been issued may
"dive" below the system's sensing zone if
the veh icle is being backed up closer . In
th is case, the warn ing sound shutt ing off
does
not i ndi cate that you have cleared
the obs tacle. Instead, impact is immi
nent .
- Objec ts such as trai ler hitches, c hains,
narrow posts or fences covered by a thin
l ayer of paint may not a lways be detect -
Park a ssis t 119
ed by the sys tem . They can still damage
your vehicle without warning.
(0 Tips
Keep the senso rs in the rear b umpe r clean
and free of snow and ice so that the acous
tic parking assist system can function proper ly .
Adjusting the warning tones
App lies to vehicles : wit h parking system (rear)
The warning tones con be adjusted in the
MM!*.
.,. Sele ct: !CAR ! func tion button > Parking sys
tem. Or
.,. Select:
!CAR ! function button > Car sy stem s*
contro l button > Dri ver a ssi st> Parking a id.
- Rear volume -
rear sensor vo lume
- Rear frequency -rear senso r frequency
- Mu sic volume while parking -when the
pa rking system is sw itched on, the volume
of the active audio source is lowered.
The newly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signal generato r. The sett ings are auto
matically sto red and assigned to the master
key w ith remote contro l.
Page 123 of 304

'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
not affect the continuous signal tone). Ap
proaching another obstacle will cause the dis
tance signa l to sound again at the normal
volume.
R ear view came ra co verage area
The MM I d isplay shows the area covered by
the rear view camera <=:>
fig. 133 (D . Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
We recommend that you p ractice parking with
the rear view camera in a traffic -free location
or parking lot to become familiar with the sys
tem, the orientation lines, and their function.
When do ing th is, there shou ld be good light
and weather conditions.
In t he MMI disp lay, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- yo u are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
s lope,
- you are driving in reverse gear toward pro
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear .
The accuracy of the or ientat ion lines and blue
surfaces d imin ishes if:
- the rear view camera does not prov ide a reli
able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
condit ions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun g lare and reflect ion.
Caring for the rear view came ra lens
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . Fo r the parking assist to
operate, the lens <=:>
fig. 134 must be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens with a household alcoho l
based glass cleaner, and clean the lens with
a dry cloth <=:>
CD.
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice
preferably with a de -icing spray
c::> (D .
Park a ssis t 12 1
A WARNING
-The parking aid cannot replace the driv
er's attent ion. The dr iver alone is respon
sible for park ing and similar driving ma
neuvers .
-Always keep your eyes on the vehicle 's
surroundings, us ing the rea r view m irror
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be dist racted
from traffic by the rear view camera p ic
tures.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for examp le,
after a rear end collision, do not conti nue
to use the system for s afety re asons .
H ave it checked by a qualified dea le rship.
CJ) Note
- Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
wa rning can disappear from the system's
detect ion range as they are app ro ached
and w ill not continue to be signaled. Ob
jects such as barrier chains, trailer d raw
bars, thin painted vertica l poles or fen
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing risk of damage.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera
lens -danger of crack format ion on the
lens!
- When cleaning the lens, never use prod
ucts that are abrasive .
Switching on/off
Applies to vehicles: wit h parking system (rear, wit h rear
v iew camera)
The rear view camera switches on automati
cally together with the acoustic pork assist when you put the vehicle in reverse.
Switching on
.,. Put the ve hicle in reverse gear, the acoust ic
parking system wi th rear view camera is ac
tivated a utomatica lly. Activation of the
acoust ic parking system is confirmed by a
brief acknowledgement sound . ..,_
Page 124 of 304

122 Park ass is t
Sw it c hing off
.,. Drive faster than 9 mph (15 km/h), or
.,. take the vehicle out of reverse gear. The
acoustic parking system is immediately de
activated, and the rear view camera picture
is deactivated automatically after a per iod
of about 15 seconds, or
.,. switch off the ignition.
The delay in deactivating the camera provides an uninterrupted view behind the vehicle es
pec ially when maneuvering in tight parking
spaces and prevents the picture from turning
off the every time you sh ift out of reverse .
If the warning message appears in the display but not the rear view camera picture, read and
confirm the warning message. The acoustic
d istance signal is always active .
If you press a function button on the MMI
control console, the rear view camera picture
d isappears. The rear view camera picture reap
pears the next time you park.
Further information on the warn ing message
and the MMI control console can be found in
the MMI instruction booklet .
A WARNING
-Only use the rearview camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clea r picture. For
example, the image may be affected by
the sun sh in ing into the lens, dir t on the
lens or if there is a defect .
- Use the rearview camera only with the
rear lid completely closed. Make sure any
objects you may have mounted on the
rear lid do not block the rearview cam
era .
(D Tips
-The rear v iew camera picture is ava ila b le
as soon as the MM I Display or the MM I is
switched on, or the start-up phase is
completed.
- The sensors must be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op
erate. -
Yo u can change the vo lume and pitch of
the s ignals as we ll as the disp lay
¢ page 124 .
-What appea rs in the disp lay is time-de
layed.
· Reverse Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
v iew camera}
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or parking space.
F ig . 1 35 MMI Disp lay : A im ing a t a park ing spo t
Fig. 136 MMr Disp lay : A lig nin g the ve hicle
.,. Switch the MMI on and select the reverse
gea r.
.,. Turn the stee ring wheel u ntil the ora nge ori
entation lines(!) appea r in the pa rking spot
c:> fig . 135. Use the markings @to help you
estimate the distance from an obstacle.
E ach marking corresponds to 3 ft (1 m). The
blue area represents an extens ion of the ve
hicle's outline by approximately 16 ft (5 m)
to the rear.
.,. Wh ile driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steer ing whee l angle to fit the parking spac e
w ith the aid of the orange or ien tat ion lines
c:> (D .@ marks the rear b umpe r. You should
stop driving in reve rse as soon as and no .,.
Page 125 of 304

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later than when the red orientation line©
abuts an object¢,&.!
A WARNING
- The rear view camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
¢
page 120, fig. 133. Watch out espe
c ially for small children and animals. The
rear view camera cannot always detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touch ing the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rear of a truck). In this case,
yo u should not use the help lines to he lp
with parking, which poses danger of an
accident!
{[) Note
-Low obstacles already signaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's
detection range as they are approached
and will not continue to be signaled. Ob
j ects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, thin pa inted vertical poles or fen
ces may not be detected by the system, posing risk of damage.
- In the MMI display, the direction of trav
el of the vehicle rear is represented de
pending on the steering wheel angle.
The vehicle front swings out more than
the vehicle rear. Maintain plenty of dis
tance from an obstacle so that your out
s ide mirror or a corner of your vehicle
does not collide with any obstacles -dan
ger of accident!
Park assist 123
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
v iew camera)
Use parking mode 2 to help you park on the
edge of a street.
Fig. 137 MMI Display: blue surface in the parking spot
Fig. 138 MMI Display: Blue curve on the curb
The following steps apply only when there is
no obstacle (such as a wall) near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the "Tips on Parking Next to Obstacles"¢
page 124.
.,.. Activate the t urn signa l.
.,.. Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approximately 3
ft (1 m) from a
parked vehicle.
.,.. Switch the MMI on and select the reverse
gear. The parking aid turns on and parking
mode 1 appears on the display .
.,.. Press the
Mode ¢ fig. 13 7 (!) control button
on the MMI contro l conso le. Parking mode 2
appears .
.,.. Back up in reverse gear and align your vehi
cle so that the blue area @borders on the
rear end of the vehicle or on the parking
spot line. The blue area represents an exten
sion of the vehicle's outline by approximate-
ly 16
ft (5 m) to the rear. The long side of liJJ,
Page 126 of 304

124 Park assis t
the b lue area should be on the curb. The en
ti re b lue area must fit into the parking spot.
• While the vehicle is stationary, turn the
steering wheel to the right as far as it will
go.
• Back into the park ing spot . Stop the vehicle
as soon as the blue curve touches the curb
¢ fig . 138.
• While the vehicle is stationa ry, turn the
steering wheel to t he left as far as i t wi ll go.
• Conti nue to bac k up into the park ing spot
unti l the vehicle is pa rked parallel to the
c ur b.® marks the rear bumper . You sho uld
stop dr iving in reverse as soon as and no lat
er than when the red orientation line@
abuts an object¢,&! Keep an eye on the
front of your veh icle wh ile doing this
c> (D .
Pa rking ne xt to obstacle s
When there is an obstacle (such as a wall)
next to the parking spot, choose a spot w ith
more space on the sides. Pos ition the long
side of the blue area so that there is sufficient
space from the curb . T he area must not be on
the curb . Yo u will also need to start turn ing
the steer ing whee l much ear lie r. T he re s hou ld
be a suff ic ient amoun t of sp ace between the
curb and the b lue curve, and the blue c urve
¢
fig . 138 must not touch the curb .
8_ WARNING
-The rea r view came ra does not show the
entire area beh ind the veh icle
¢
page 120, fig. 133. Watch o ut espe
cially for small children and an imals. The
rear view camera cannot a lways detect
them, pos ing risk of a n accide nt!
- Please note that objects not touch ing the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for examp le, the
bumper of a pa rked vehicle, a t railer
hit ch, or the rear of a t ru ck ). In this case,
yo u shoul d no t use the help li nes to he lp
with par king, which poses danger of an
acc ident!
(D Note
In the M MI dis p lay, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend
i ng on the steering wheel angle . The vehi
cle front swings out more than the vehicle
rear. Mainta in plenty of dista nce from an
obstacle so that your outs ide mir ro r or a
corner of you r vehicle does not coll ide with
any obstacles - dange r of accide nt!
(D Tips
The left o r right orie ntation lines and su r
faces will be disp layed, depending on t he
t u rn s ignal being used .
Adjusting the display and warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system (rear, with rear
view camera)
The display and warning tones are adjus ted in
the radio or MMI*.
.. Select: !CAR I function button> Parking sys
tem .
Or
--.. Select: !C AR I func tion but ton> Car systems "
control butto n> Driver assist > Parking aid .
Di splay
- Off -when the parking system is switched
on, on ly aud ib le signals are given .
-On -when the par king system is switched
on, the picture from the rear view camera is
disp layed.
Warning tones
- Rear volum e -
rear sensor vo lume
- Rear frequency -rear senso r frequency
- Music volume whil e parking -when the
parking system is sw itched on, the volume
of the active audio sour ce is lowered.
The newly ad justed value is briefly heard from
the sig nal generato r. The sett ings are auto
matically stored and assigned to the remote
control key. ..,
Page 170 of 304

168 Child Saf ety
Model Manufactured on or
a fter
Graco Snugride September 2S, 2007
Peg Perego Primo V i- September 25, 2007
aggio SIP IMUN00US
Subpart C -Forward -facing and
con vertibl e child r estra in ts
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Tour iva 02519 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 2S, 2007
High Back Booster
22-262
Cosco Hig h Back September 25, 2007
Booster 22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Medallion December 1, 1999
254
Evenflo Generations September 25, 200
7
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Toddler Safety September 25, 2007
Seat Step 2
Graco P latinum Ca rgo September 25, 2007
_&. WARNING
T o reduce the risk of serious injury, make
sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever a
child restraint is installed on the front pas
senger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
- Take the child restraint off the front pas senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN
G ER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your authorized Aud i dealer immediate
ly.
(!) Tips
The child seats listed in categories A to C have been statically tested by Audi on ly for
the Advanced A irbag function.
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats
Correct use of child safety seats substantially
reduces the risk of injury in an accident!
As the driver, you are responsib le for the safe
ty of everybody in the veh icle, especially ch il
dren:
... Always use the right ch ild safety seat for
each child and always use it properly
c::;,page 171 .
... Always carefully follow the child safety seat
manufacturer's instruct ions on how to route
the safety belt properly through the child
safety seat.
... When usi ng the veh icle safety belt to install
a child safety seat, you m ust first activate
the convertib le locking retractor on the
safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving
¢ page 175.
... Push the ch ild safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight
so that the seat cannot move forwa rd or
sideways mo re than one inch (2.5 cm) .
... If a strap or tether is be ing used to t ie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, make sure tha t it i s n ot so tight th at i t
causes the weight -sensing mat to measure
more weight than is act ually on the seat.
... Sec ure unused safety belts o n the rear seat
c::;, page 170.
Always remember : Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
chi ldren, especially those 12 years and young
er, shou ld always r ide in the back seat proper-
ly restrained for their age and size. .,.
Page 187 of 304

@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi
connect. Your use of certain Aud i connect
features req uires wireless serv ices that are
provided by a third party wireless telecom
municat ions provider. For details regard
ing how information obtained through
Aud i connect is collected, processed,
transmitted, used, and shared, please see
your contra ct w ith the wire less telecom
municat ions provider and the "About A udi
connect" tab in your vehicle's MMI*:
!MENU ! button> Audi connect > About
Audi con nect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESC detects
certain difficult driv ing situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw) out of cont ro l and he lps you to get the vehicle
back under control by select ively b rak ing the
wheels, and/or red ucing engine powe r and
p roviding steering assistance to help hold the
ve hicle on the driver's intended course . The in
dicator light
DJ in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
phys ics. It will not a lways be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
h elp you master situat ions where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of fr iction of
the road surface. When there is a sect io n of
d ry road that is s udden ly cove red with water,
slush o r snow, ESC canno t perform the same
way it would on the dry su rface.
If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a c ush ion of wate r in
stead of the road surface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because con-
Int ellig ent technolog y 185
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast corner ing, particular ly on wind ing
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult dr iv ing s ituations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather conditions . ESC can
not override the vehicle's physical lim its, in
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a veh icle
o n the road if road departu re is a result of
driver ina ttent io n. Instead , ESC imp roves the
poss ibility of keep ing t he vehicle under con
trol and on the road during extreme maneu
vers by using the driver's steering i nputs to
help keep the vehicle go ing in the intended di
rect ion. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time. In certain sit
uat ions when you need less traction, you can
switch off ASR by pressing the butto n
[ill
~ page 187, fig. 174 or~ page 187,
fig. 175. Be sure to sw itch ASR on aga in when
you no lo nger need less traction.
The following systems are integrated in the
ESC:
Anti-lock bra king sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking up
when brak ing. T he vehicle can st ill be steered
even dur ing hard braking. App ly steady pres
su re to the brake peda l. Do not pump the ped
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal ind icates that
the system is helping you to brake the veh icle .
Brake assi st system
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases brak ing power when the
drive r presses the brake peda l quickly in emer
gency s ituations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal unti l the s ituation is over. In
vehicles wi th adap tive c rui se control*, the
brake assis t system is more sensitive if the
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