ABS AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2011 User Guide

___ s_a_ f_ e_ t_ y _ b_e _l_t _s ___________________________________________ _
Safety be lts attach passe ngers to t he car an d give th em the benef it of
b ei ng s lo we d d own mor e gentl y or "so ftly" throu gh th e "give" in the
sa fety bel ts, crush z ones a nd oth er safety feat ures engin eered in to
today 's vehicles . By "absor bing" the kinetic e ner gy over a lo ng er
p eriod of time, th e saf ety belts make the forces o n th e body mor e
"to lerable" and less likely to ca use inju ry .
Alt hou gh the se ex amp les a re based on a fr ontal col lis ion, safety bel ts
can a lso s ubstantially red uce the risk of in jur y in other ki nds of
cras hes. So , whe ther you 're o n a long tri p o r ju st go in g to th e co rner
sto re, a lways b uckle up a nd make sure others do, too. Accident statis­
t ics s how t hat vehi cle occupan ts properly wea rin g safety belts have a
lower risk of bei ng in jured and a muc h better cha nce of s urvivi ng an
acc ident. Properly usi ng safety belts also greatly increases the ability
of the supp lemental a irbags to do t heir job in a co llisio n. For this
reason, wea ring a safety belt is lega lly re quir ed in most countries
including muc h of th e Uni ted Stat es and Canad a.
Altho ugh your Audi is equipped with a irbags, yo u still have to wear
t he s afety bel ts provi ded. Fr ont airba gs, for ex ample, are activ ated
only in some fro nta l collisions . T he front a irbags are not activated in
all fr ont al collis ions, in side and re ar co llisions, in ro ll overs or in cases
w her e th er e is no t enough d ecelerat io n t hroug h im pac t to th e fron t
o f th e ve hicle. T he same goes for the ot he r air bag sys tems in yo ur
Audi. So, always wear your saf ety be lt and make sure eve rybody in
your vehicle is properly restrai ned! •
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
S afety bel ts m ust alw ays b e co rre ctly po sitio ned a cross
t he str ongest bones o f your bo dy.
- Al ways we ar saf ety be lts as illustra te d an d descri bed i n
this c hapter.
- M ake sure that your s afet y be lts are alw ays re a dy f or use
a nd a re n ot d amaged .
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death. Safety belts can work only when used correctly.
• Always fasten your safety belts correctly before driving off and
make sure all passengers are correctly restrained.
• For maximum protection , safety belts must always be posi ­
tioned properly on the body.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt.
• Never place a safety belt over a child sitting on your lap.
• Always keep feet in the footwell in front of the seat while the
vehicle is being driven.
• Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument
panel or sticking out the window or on the seat.
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
• Never wear belt s twisted .
• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your
clothing, such as eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury .
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position.
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct
positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the
system .
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely . .._

111,___A_ i_rb _ a_,g=-- s_, y:;.. s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Even when they deploy, airbags provide only supplemental
protection.
• Airbag work most effectivel y when used with properly worn
safety belts .
• Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your vehicle is properly restrained.
& WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat , especially infants and small
c hildren, will receive serious injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the a irbag when it inflates .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child i s on the front pa ssenger seat, nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment under these spec ial conditions is
impos sible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle .
• The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in a ccordance with the
" low risk" option under the U.S . Federal Standard if a child that is
heavier than the typical one-year old child is on the front
passenger seat and the other conditions for airbag deployment
are met.
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating po sition .
• For their own safety , all children , especially 12 years and
younger, should alway s ride in the back properly re strained for
the ir age and size. •
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced A irbag System in
comp li a nce wi th Unit ed State s F edera l Motor Vehicle Sa fety Sta ndar d
208 as applicable at t he time your veh icle was manufactured.
Th e front A dvanced A irbag System s upplements the safety belts to
prov ide addit ional p rotect ion fo r the driver's a nd front passenger's
hea ds and uppe r bodies in fronta l crashes . The airbags inflate only in
fronta l impa cts when the vehicle dece leration is high enoug h.
T he front Advanced Airbag System for the front seat occupants is not
a subs titu te for your s afe ty be lts. R athe r, it is part o f the ove rall occu­
pant restra int system in your ve hicle. Always remember t hat the
airbag sys tem ca n on ly hel p to protect you, if yo u are sitting upr igh t,
wearing your safety be lt and wear ing it prope rly . T his is why you and
your passengers must always be p roperly restra ined, not just beca use
t he law requires you to be .
The Advanced A irbag System in your veh icle has been cert ified to
meet the " low r isk " req uirem ents fo r 3 a nd 6 year-old childre n on the
passenger s ide and very small adu lts on the driver s ide. T he low r isk
dep loyme nt crite ria are in tende d to hel p r educe t he ris k of injury
throug h interaction with the front airbag that can occur, for example,
by being too close to the steering wheel and instr ume nt pane l whe n
t he airbag i nflates.
In addit ion, the system has been cert ified to comply with t he
"supp ression" requirements of the Safety Stand ard, to turn off the
front airbag for infants 12 mont hs old and younger who are
res trained on the fron t passenger sea t in child re strai nts th at ar e
listed in the Standard~
page 223, "Child restraints and Advanced
Air bags".
" Sup pression" requ ires the front a irbag on the passenger side to be
turned off if:
• a chi ld up to about one year o f age is restra ined on the fron t
passenge r seat in one of t he rear-faci ng or forward-facing infant
res train ts lis ted in F eder al Motor Vehicle S afety Stand ard 208 wit h
w hich the Advanced A irbag System in yo ur vehicle was ce rtified . Fo r a .,_

_________________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,g :;..__ s-=y '"- s_ t_ e_ m __ _
listing of the child restraints that were used to certify your vehicle's
compliance with the US Safety Standard ~
page 22 3,
• weight less than a threshold level sto red in the contro l unit is
de tected o n the front p assenge r seat.
When a person is detected on t he front passenger seat, weigh ing
more tha n the tota l we ight of a child that is about 1 year old
restra ined in one of the rear-facing or forward-fac ing infant
restraints (listed in Federal Motor Ve hicle Safety Standard
208 with
w hich t he Advan ced Ai rbag System in your veh icle was cert ified), the
front airbag on the passenger s ide may or may not dep loy.
T he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t comes on when the elect ronic
control u nit detects a tota l weig ht on the front passenger seat that
req uires the front airbag to be turned off . If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OF F
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger
side has not been turned off by the control unit and can deploy if the
cont rol un it senses an impact that meets the conditions stored in its
memory.
If the tota l we ight on the fro nt passenger sea t is more than th at of a
typical
1 year-o ld, but less than the weight of a small adult, the front
airbag on the passenger side may dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on) .
For example, the airb ag may deploy if:
• a small child that is heav ie r than a typical 1 year-old child is on the
front passenger seat (regard less of whether the ch ild is in one of the
child safety seats listed ~
page 223),
• a child who has outgrown child restra ints is on the front passenger
sea t.
If the front passenger a irbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light in the center of the instr ument panel will come on and stay
on .
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not dep loy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght does not i llumi nate and s tay lit) if:
• a small adult or teenager is on the front passenger seat
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
a passenger w ho is not sitt ing uprig ht with their back against a
non-recline d backrest wi th t he ir feet on the veh icle floor in fro nt o f
the seat is o n the fro nt passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag dep loys, the Federa l Standard requires
t he a irbag to mee t the " low ris k" deployment c riter ia to help reduce
the risk of injury through interaction with the a irbag. "Low risk"
dep loyment oc curs in those c rashes that ta ke p lace at lowe r de cele r­
ations as defined in the electronic contro l unit.~
page 210
Alw ays remember: Even tho ugh your vehicle is eq uipped with
Advanced A irbags, the safest place for children is properly restrained
on the back seat. Please be sure to read the important information in
the sections t hat follow and be su re to heed all of the WAR NINGS.
& WARNING
To reduc e the ri sk of injury w hen an airbag inflate s, alwa ys w ear
safet y belt s properly .
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward , sitting sidewa ys or
out of po sition in any way , your ri sk of injury i s much high er.
• You will also recei ve serious injurie s and could even be killed if
you are up again st the airbag or too close to it wh en it inflates -
e ven with an Ad vanced Airbag ~
page 199.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
pa ssenger seat will be seriou sly injured and can be killed if the
front a irbag inflates · even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• Although the Ad vanced Airb ag System in your v ehicle is
designed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward-facing child
re straint has been installed on the front pas senger seat , nobody
c an absolut ely guarantee th at deployment is impo ssible in all
c onceivable situation s that may happen during the u seful life of
your vehicle. _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag system ------=-~-----------------------------------
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always make sure that the side a irbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat covers or replacement uphol stery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional se at cushions that cover the areas
where the side ai rbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an author ized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only on ce. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, t raining
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deploy ed only once. After an airbag
has been dep loyed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reason s with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupte r.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is sc rapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
W For the sake of the environment
Un deployed ai rbag modu les and p retensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Materia l -special handling may ap ply, see
www.dts c.ca.gov/ha za rdouswas te/pe rchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing a irbag modu les safety belts
w it h pretensioners are s crapped, all appli cable laws and regula tions
must be observed. Your author ized Aud i dealer is familiar with these
req uiremen ts and we recommen d that you have your dealer perfo rm
this serv ice for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
t h e Advan ced Airbag System pe rforms in a cr ash . For e xamp le, usi ng
tire-rim combinations not app roved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffness o f th e suspension, incl uding the sp rings,
suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the forces that
are meas ure d by the a irba g sensors and sent to the ele ct ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension changes can, fo r exam ple, increase the force
levels measured by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had no t been
ma de . Other kinds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors and p revent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p as senge r se at tell the e lectroni c cont rol mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latched or not . If the safety belt is being used, t he front a irbag w ill
dep loy a t a s lightly h igher r ate o f vehicle decele ration t han if t he
safety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a par ticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irba g w ill not dep loy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing use d. It is im portant that nothing interfere
w it h t he safety belt bu ckles so that the sensors can se nd the co rrect
info rmation about safety be lt use to the electronic contro l unit.
~

____ C_ h_ il_d _ S_a_ f_ e_ t-= y;....._ ____________________________________________ _
- Do not use the convertible locking retractor when using
the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on a booster
seat.
- Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt midway over the child's shoulde r.
- Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety belt never rests against or across the child's neck.
- Always make sure that the child can properly wear the lap
portion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs. or 18 kg) are best
protected in child safety seats des igned for their age and we ight.
Experts say that the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these ch ild ren is not fully developed, and they must not use the
veh icle safety belts w ithout a suitable ch ild restraint .
Children up to about 40 lbs (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats des igned for their age and weig ht. Expe rts say that the skeletal
structure, particularly the pelvis, of these children is not fully devel­
oped, and they must not use the vehicle safety bel ts witho ut a suit­
able child restraint .
It is usually best to put these chi ldren in appropriate booster seats.
Be sure the booster seat meets all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and sho ulder parts of the safety bel t so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt over
the ch ild 's body is very impo rtant for the chi ld's p rotection, whether
or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12 and under must always
ride in the rea r seat.
Chi ld ren who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall can
generally use the vehicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . Never
use the lap belt port ion of the vehicle 's safe ty belt alone to restra in
any child, regard less of how big the child is. Always remember that children do not have the pronounced pelvic structure requ
ired for the
proper func tion o f lap belt por tion of the vehicle's three poin t lap and
shoulder belts . The ch ild's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portio n of the safety be lt be fastened snugly and as low as possible
around the pelvis. Never let the lap belt portion of the safety belt
pass over the child's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags m ust inflate with in a blink of an eye and with
considerable force. In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inflate so tha t it w ill be the re to protect t he occ upant as the occupant
moves forward into the a irbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating a irbag. When a n occupant is too close,
he or she will be struck violently and will receive serious or possibly
even fata l injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
vehicle occupants, especia lly any ch ild ren, who must be in the front
seat because of exceptional circumstances, be properly restra ined
and as far away from the airbag as possib le .
By keeping room
between the child's body and the front of the passenger compart­
ment, the a irbag can inflate completely and provide supplemental
protection in certa in frontal collisions .
& WARNING
Not using a booste r s eat, using the boo st e r se at improperl y, incor ­
r ectl y installing a boo st e r seat or u sing the vehicle saf ety belt
i mp rope rly incre ases th e ris k of s eri ou s per sonal injury and d eath
i n a colli sion o r other emergenc y situatio n. To he lp reduce the risk
of s eri ous p ersonal injury and /or d eath:
• Alwa ys make su re to po sition the shoulder portion of the three­
p o int belt o ver the m iddle of child' s shoulder .
• Never let the sh o ulde r por tio n of the belt re st agai nst or ac ros s
the ne ck, f ace, chin , or throat of the ch ild. .,_

Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' "---.L==--
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
w ith the ABS sys tem. If the A nti-L o ck Brak e System (A BS) mal fun c­
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Elect ronic D ifferential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regul ation System (AS R) are in teg rated in the e lec ­
tronic stab ilizat ion program . In addition to the data prov ided by
th ese fun ctions, the ESP control unit re quires addi tional meas ure ­
ment data provided by hig h pe rformance senso rs . The ro tat ional
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, veh icle acceleration in the
fore-and-a ft and lateral d irect ions, the brake pressure , a nd the
steerin g ang le are all measured .
Th e d irec tion in whi ch the driver w ishes to tra ve l is d ete rm ined wi th
the a id of the steering a ngle and ve hicle speed and is con tinually
c omp ared wi th the a ctu al b ehavior o f the ve hicl e. If t he two do no t
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplani ng on a wet
roa d, E SP w ill automatica lly bra ke the approp riate whee l to correct
the problem.
Th e ve hicle is t hen stab ilized by the fo rces acting on the whee l during
bra king .
If the ve hicl e is oversteering (the vehicle tu rns too s harp ly
and the rear whee ls slide toward the outside of a curve), the brakes
a re mainly a pplied on the whee l tha t is o n the o uts ide of t he curve. In
the case of a vehicle that is
understeering (the vehicle does not turn
shar ply enough and push es out o f a curve), the b rakes are ap plied as
needed on the whee l th at is on the inside of the curve or additionally
on the ot her wheels . An acoustic s ignal indicates w hen ESP bra ke
applica tion cuts in=> &.
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
w ith the A BS system =>
page 245. If the A nti-Lo ck Br ake Sys tem
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP w ill be o ut of act ion as we ll.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP wi ll automatica lly be activated and
w ill pe rfor m a self- tes t. As soo n as t he tes t is c om plete d, th e sys tem
is in normal operating mo de.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Yo
u can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ ASR if required
b y pressi ng the =>
page 240, fi g. 2 13 => page 240, fig. 2 12 bu tton.
Wh en they are activated, the message
Stabilisation program on
appears briefly in t he di sp lay .
Deactivating
The ES P shoul d no rma lly be acti va te d a ll the tim e. I f necess ary, y ou
can deact ivate A nti-Slip Reg ulat io n (ASR) or th e Electro nic Sta biliza ­
t ion Progr am ( ES P) by p ress ing the button =>
page 2 40, fig. 213.
• Deactivating ASR: Tap th e button . In cer tain exceptional s itua­
t ions (e.g. driving with tire chains), the Anti -Slip Reg ulation (ASR) can
be dea ct iva te d =>
page 242. The m ess age ASR off Caution! Limited
driving stability
a pp ears in the d isp lay as well.
• Deactivating ESP/ASR Press the but ton for mor e tha n 3 seconds .
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, t he ESP check light comes o n, see
=>
p age 14. The m ess age Warning! Restri cted stability ap pears in
the display as we ll.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subje ct to the
laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions . Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into accepting additional safety risks .
u
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent t echnology
---------------------------------------
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The elec tronic differen tial lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
G en era l not es
The electronic differentia l lock (EDL) helps the ca r to sta rt moving,
accelerate and climb a gradient on surfaces provid ing poor or almost
no grip . W ithout ED L, this would be d iff icu lt, if not impossible.
How the sy stem works
The EDL operates automatically. It mo nitors the rota tional speed of
wheels with the help of the ABS sensors=>
page 245. If a not iceab le
slip is detected at the wheels (e.g. on slippery g round on one side),
the spinn ing wheels are braked and power is transferred to the other
wheels . This is done up to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h).
No ises from the brake system signal that wheel sp in is being
controlled.
Driv ing off
When d riving off, always be s ure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface with
less grip, apply
plenty of throttle until the car starts to move.
O verheating of bra kes
To prevent the disc b rake of the bra ked wheel from ove rhea ting if
subjected to excessive loads on this wheel, the EDL cuts out tempo­
ra rily. The vehicle remains operat io nal and be haves in the same way
as a veh icle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has coo led down, EDL switches on again auto ­
matically.
Electronic limited slip differential
In vehicles w ith front wheel drive *, an e lectron ic lim ited slip d ifferen­
tial engages when driving on curves . The brakes are applied spec ifi­
cally to the front wheel that is on the inside of the curve. T his m ini­
m izes sliding on the front wheels and enables precise and neutral dr
iv ing t hrouge curves. The electronic lim ited slip differentia l does
no t engage whe n driving in we t cond it io ns or snow.
& WARNING
• Wh en acc elerating on slipp ery s urface s, such a s on ice or snow,
always be careful when depre ssing the accele rator pedal. Even
with the EDL and the electroni c limited slip differential working,
the dr ive wh eels can spin and reduce you r ability to control your
c ar . -Ri sk of cra sh!
• The increased safet y afforded b y EDL and the electronic l imited
slip differ ential d oes not mean th at you can take safety risks .
Alw ay s adapt your d riving st yle to the road c onditions and traffi c
si tuation.
[ i ] Tips
If a fa ult occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not funct ioning. This is
ind icated by the ABS warn ing light=>
page 15 . •
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the driven
wheels from spinning when the car is a ccelerating.
General notes
T he Anti-Slip Regu lation System (ASR) is in tegrated in the electronic
stabilization program (ESP) . When the veh icle starts up and acceler­
a tes, the wheels are preven ted from sp inning by adjust ing the engine
power to match the amount of grip ava ilable from the road surface.
How the system works
ASR performs automatica lly, i.e. without the driver's intervent ion.
With the a id o f the ABS sensors=>
page 245, ASR moni tors the speed
of the driven wheels. If the wheels start to spin, engine torque is
reduced automatically unti l the tires find enough grip to lock onto
the road s urface. The system is active across the entire speed range . .,

Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' "---.L==--
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR w ill also be out of action.
Activating
The ESP is automatically activated when the engine is started and it
performs a self-test. You can activate a deactivated ASR if required by
pressing the=>
page 240, fig. 213 button. When it is activated, the
message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display .
Deactivating
You can deactivate the ASR if required by pressing the button (for less
than 3 seconds) =>
page 240, fig. 213. With the ASR deactivated , the
ESP check light comes on, see=>
page 14 . The message ASR off
appears in the display as well. The ASR can be deactivated at any
speed .
The ASR should normally be activated a ll the time. Only in certain
exceptional situations when some slip is desirable does it make sense
to deactivate the ASR. Examples:
• when driving with tire chains
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground and
• when rocking the vehicle loose after it has become stuck .
When the abnormal situation is over, you should activate the ASR again.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[I] Tips
To ensu re that the ASR works properly, all four whee ls must be fitted
with ident ical t ires. Any differences in rolling radius of the t ires can
cause the system to reduce eng ine power when this is not desired.
See also=>
page 307, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •
Safety first
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending la rgely on ope rating conditions and driving habits=>& .
On vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic or
are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your authorized
Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking effect of the engine. This
way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you must
use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously. Pump the
brakes at intervals.
Noises may occur when brak ing depending on the speed, braking
force and outside cond itions such as temperatu re and humid ity.
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving faster than 31 mph (50 km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in
regula r interva ls so as to improve reaction time when braking on wet
surfaces. You, the driver, will not not ice anything.
Under certain condit ions, for example, when driving through water or
very heavy rai n, or even after washing your vehicle, the braking effect
can be reduced due to moisture (or in free zing conditions ice) on the
bra ke pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off the brake
pads or remove any ice coatings.
Th e effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr iven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. H ere too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake=>&,.
Vehicle care Technical data

Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' '----'----
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS}
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under braking.
The ABS contributes effectively to vehicle control since it prevents the
w heels from
locking whe n the brakes are applied . This means t hat t he
vehicle rema ins steerable and is less likely to skid.
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake. Ju st hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten braking distance under all
circu mstances. When d riving on gr ave l o r on new ly falle n snow o n top
of icy s urfaces, braking distance may be even longer, therefore, under
t he se c ir cu mstances, i t is especially importa nt that you dr ive slowly
and with great care.
How the ABS system works
An a utomat ic check is made when a speed of about 12 mph (20 km/h)
is reached. When this happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
If an individ ual w heel beg ins to rotate too slow ly in relat ion to vehicle
speed and tends to lock, t he ABS automat ic al ly reduces brake pres­
sure to prevent t hat wheel from locking .
Thi s automatic adjustment process w ill cause a
slight vibrat ion of
t he bra ke ped al and some noises to aler t you th at vehicle s peed mus t
be adapted to existing road and traff ic conditions.
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective , always remember that braking
capability i s limited by tire traction . Always adjust your driving
speed acco rding to the road and traffic condition s. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risk s.
T he ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
(I] Tips
•
If ABS is no t fun ct io ni ng prope rly, a wa rning light will come on .
See =>
page 15.
• If a fault occurs in the A BS, the EDL is also not functioning . This is
indicated by t he ABS warn ing light .•
Brake assist
Brake assist is designed to achieve the optimum braking
effect.
Bra ke ass ist helps to i ncrease the effe ctive br aking power and thus to
achieve a shorte r stopping distance . If the d river presses the brake
peda l very quickly, brake assist automatically boosts the bra king
force to the max imum level, up to the po int whe re the anti-lock b rake
function (ABS) intervenes to stop t he wheels from locki ng . You
should then keep the br ake peda l pressed unti l the veh icle has braked
to the required speed . Brake ass ist switches itself off as soon as you
re le ase the br ake pedal.
& WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast , especially in corners or on a slippery road , or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too clo sely. Increased ri sk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by brake assist , so
alway s maintain a safe speed .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation.
If yo u plan to tow a t rai ler, p lease rem emb er that the add itiona l load
wi ll affect durab ility, economy and performance.
T railer tow ing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it a lso calls
for more concentrat ion from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the ope rating and dr iv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the gross trailer weig ht.
Th e hitch mus t be suitable for yo ur vehicle a nd tra ile r and mus t be
mounted secure ly on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound l oca­
t ion. Use only a trailer hitch wi th a remov ab le b all m ount. Alw ays
check w ith the tra iler hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using t he cor re ct hi tch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch must be installed in such a way t hat it does not interfere
w ith the impa ct-absorbing b umper system. No mod ifi cat ions sho uld
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems. From time to
ti me, chec k tha t all hitc h mou ntin g bol ts rem ain secure ly f aste n ed.
When you a re not tow ing a tra iler, remove the tra iler hitch ba ll
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should yo ur
vehicle be struck from behind=> &.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is eq
uipped with a braking system, check to be s ure that
i t confo rm s to all regula tions.
The tra iler hydraulic brake system must not be directly connected to
the vehicle's hydraulic brake system=>& .
Safety chains
Alw ays use safety chains be twee n your vehicle and the trai ler.
Trailer lights
Tr ailer l ights m ust meet all reg ulat io ns. Be su re to check with your
author ized Audi deale r for correct wir ing, switches, and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us ing the regular
outside m irro rs, then you
must install extended m irro rs. It is impor­
tant that yo u
always have clear vision to the rear.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical b rake s please note that these brakes
are not activated by the factory-fitted control unit -ri sk of acci­
dent!
• After removing the trailer hitch , do not store it in your vehicle.
In case of sudden braking, the hitch could fly fo rward and injure
you or your passengers. •
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer we ight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer . .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data