brakes AUDI A6 2012 User Guide

84 Adapti ve crui se control and bra king guard
@ Tips
- Di sta nce 3 is set automatically each time
you switch the ignition on.
- Your standard settings are automatically
stored and assigned to the remote con­
trol key being used.
Audi braking guard
Description
Ap plies to vehicles: with a daptive cruise co ntrol
Fig. 86 Inst rument cluster: app roach wa rning
Aud i braking guard uses radar sensors and a
video camera. It is act ive at speeds above
about 6.2 mph (10 km/h) and also works
within system limits when adaptive cruise contro l is switched off.
On vehicles with adapt ive cruise control and
Aud i side assist (Audi p re sense plus), system
functions also engage when a co llision is im­
minent
¢ page 187.
What c an Audi br aking gu ard do?
When detected in time, the system can assess
situations when a vehicle ahead brakes sud­
denly or if your own veh icle is trave ling at a
h igh speed and approachi ng a veh icle up
ahead that is moving more slowly . A udi brak­
i ng guard does not react if it ca nnot detect
the sit uat ion .
The system advises you of various situations:
- The
distan ce w arn ing is given if you are too
close to the vehicle ahead for a long time . If
the vehicle ahead brakes sharply, you will not be able to avoid a coll is ion . The ind icator
ligh t
I in the disp lay comes on. Take imme- diate action to avoid the collision and in­
crease the distance to the vehicle up ahead
.
- The
appr oach warning is given when a de­
tected vehicle up ahead in your lane is mov­
ing much more slowly that you are or if it
brakes sharp ly. When this warning is given,
it may only be possible to avo id a co llision
by swerving or brak ing sharp ly. The indicator
light
I and the symbol in the display will
warn you about the danger¢
fig. 86. You
w ill also hear an acoustic signal.
If you do not react fast enough or do not react
at all to the situation, Aud i braking guard w ill
intervene by braking and the message
br aking
guard interv ention
w ill appear.
- If a collis ion is imminent, the system will
first provide an
a cute warning by braking
sharply .
- If you do not react to the acute warning, Au­
di braking guard will brake w ith increased
force in severa l stages to reduce the speed
in a poss ible coll is ion. O n veh icles with
adapt ive cr uise con tro l a nd Aud i side assist
(Audi pre sense plus), the system can brake
w it h increas ing fo rce up to max imum dece l­
eration shortly before a sensed collision
¢page 187.
- If
the Audi braking guard senses that you
are not braking hard enough when a colli­
sion is imminent, it can increase the braking
force.
Audi braking guard takes the driver's reaction
time into consideration in order to provide
t imely warnings. The system reaction time de­
creases automat ically in some situations, for
example when it detects acce lerator pedal use
or steering input. The Audi braking guard in ­
tervent io n stops in certa in situations, for ex­
amp le if you p ress the accele ra to r pedal to
pass the vehicle moving a head of you in your
lane.
Which function s can be controlled?
You can switch Aud i brak ing guard and the
distance/approach warning on or off in the
MM I ¢page 85, Settings in the MMI.

N -N eutr al
The transmission is in neutra l in this position .
Shift to this posit ion for standing with the
brakes applied
¢ &. in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 101.
When the veh icle is stationary or at speeds
be low 3 mph (5 km/h) , you must always apply
the footbrake before and while moving the
lever out of
N.
D /S -Normal position for dr iving forward
I n the D /S position, the transmission can be
operated e ither in the normal D mode or in
the S sport mode. To select the 5 sport mode,
pu ll the se lector lever back briefly . Pulling the
l ever back again will select the normal D
mode. The instrument cluster display shows
the selected driving mode.
In the
no rmal mode D , the transmission auto ­
matica lly selects the best gear ratio. It de­
pends on engine load, veh icle speed and the
dynamic control program (DRP).
Select the
s port mode S for sporty driving .
The vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. S hifting is more noticeable when accel­
erating.
When the veh icle is stationary or at speeds
be low 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always apply
the foot brake before and while moving the lever to
D /S out of N .
In certain circumstances it may be advanta­
geous to temporarily switch to the manual
shift program to manually select gear ratios
to match specif ic driving conditions
¢ page 105.
A WARNING
Read and follow alt WARNI NGS ¢ A in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 101.
(D Note
-
Coast ing downh ill with the transmission in
N and the engine not runn ing will result in
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 10 3
damage to the automatic transmission
and possib ly the cata lytic converter.
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
Applies to veh icles: w ith mult itronic
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you
against accidentally shifting into a forward or
the reverse gear and causing the vehicle to
move unintentionally.
0, N 0 0
0
a1i
) ( )
Fi g. 107 Shi ft ga te: selector leve r lock pos it ions and
i n te rlock bu tton highligh ted
The selector lever lock is re leased as follows:
.. Tu rn the igni tion on.
.. Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time
press and hold the inte rlock bu tton on the
side of the gear selector knob
Q fig. 107
with your thumb until yo u have moved the
selector lever to the desired posit ion .
Automatic selector leve r lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po­
s itions when the ig nition is tu rned on. To
move t he lever from these positions the driver
must depress the brake peda l. As a reminder
to the driver, the following warning appears in
the instrument cluster display when the selec­
tor is in
P and N :
When stationar y apply footbrake while se­
lecting gear
A time delay element p reven ts the selector
lever from locking when it is moved through
the
N position (going from R to 0 /5 ). The
locking element wi ll lock the se lector lever if
the lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than approximately 1 second, w ithout the brake
pedal being pressed .

108 Automatic Transmission
-If you must g et out of the vehicle, move
the selector lever securely into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake f irmly.
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake
firmly set
r:!;> page 214, Engine compart­
ment.
Otherwise, any increase in engine
speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
Selector lever posit ions
Appl ies to vehicles: with tiptronic
This section describes the selector lever posi­
tions and driving ranges.
Fig. 113 Display in the instrume nt cluster: se lector
lever pos itio n
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
strument cluster display.
P - Park
In this selecto r lever position the transmis­
sion is mechanically locked . Engage
P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped ¢ A
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 107 .
To shift in or out of position P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
while moving the selector lever to or from
P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on.
You must release the parking lock manually
before towing the vehicle
<:!;>page 112.
R -Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed r:!;> ,& in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 107.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the handle of the selector
l ever
and the brake pedal at the same time.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N - Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position .
Shift to this position for standing with the
brakes applied
<:!;>page 109.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always apply
the footbrake before and while moving the
lever out of
N.
D/S - Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal D mode or in
the S sport mode . To select the S sport mode,
pull the selector lever back briefly. Pulling the
lever back again will select the normal D
mode. The instrument cluster display shows
the selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D , the transmission auto­
matically selects the best gear ratio.
It de­
p ends on engine load, vehicle speed and the
dynamic control program (DRP).
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving.
The vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. Shifting is more noticeable when accel­
erating.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always apply
the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
D/S out of N .
In certain circumstances it may be advanta­
geous to temporarily switch to the manual
shift program to manually select gear ratios .,..

190 Intelligent technology
ESP includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys ­
tem, anti-slip regulation (ASR) , e lectronic dif­
f erential lock ( ED L) and e lectronic interax le
d ifferential lock* . ESP is switched on all the
time . In certain situat ions when you need less
traction , you can switch off ASR by pressing
the button
I!] c:;, page 191 , fig. 164 . Be sure
to switch ASR on again whe n you no longe r
need less tra ct ion.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even du ring hard b rak ing . Apply steady p res­
sure to the brake pedal. Do no t pu mp the ped­
a l. A puls ing in the b ra ke ped al ind icates that
the system is he lp ing you to b rake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing
d ista nce. It increases braking power w hen the
d river p resses the brake pedal quic kly in eme r­
gen cy situa tions. You mus t press and hold the
b rake peda l until the si tuation is over. In veh i­
cles with adaptive cruise control*, the brake
assist system is more sensitive if the distance
detected to the vehicle ahead is too smal l.
Anti-slip r egulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the d rive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the fo rce to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerat e and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the o ther d rive
wheel or whee ls i f th e vehi cle is equipped with
a ll-whee l drive *. This function is available up
to about 7S mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases, EDL automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
Electronic interaxle differential lock */
selective wheel torque control*
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
whee l drive) or the se lective whee l torque
control (all-wheel dr ive) operates when d riv­
ing t hrough curves . The front wheel on the in­
s ide of the curve or both whee ls on the inside
of the curve a re b raked select ively as needed .
T his m inimizes sliding in th e front wheels and
allows for mo re p reci se d rivi ng throug h
c ur ves . The appl icable system may not acti­
vate when dr iving in we t or snowy conditions.
_& WARNING ~
- ESP , ABS, AS R, E DL and the e lectronic in­
terax le d iffe rential lock function* cannot
overcome the laws of physics . This is es­
pecially important on slippery or wet
roads. If the systems begin acti ng to sta­
b ili ze your ve hicle , you s hould immed i­
ately c hange yo ur speed to match the
road and traffic cond itions. Do not let
t he incre ased safety provide d by the se
systems tempt you to take risks. Do ing
so will increase the r is k of a loss of vehi­
cle control, collision and serious persona l
in jur ies.
-Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and weather conditions . The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and o n slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . ESP, ABS, the brake ass ist system,
E DL, ASR and the e lectronic interax le dif­
fe ren tial lo ck fu nction * can not prevent
coll is ions.
- Always ac celerate with spe cial care on
even, smooth s urfaces such as tho se th at
ar e we t or covered with i ce and snow.
The drive wheels can spin eve n with
these assistance systems t hat cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve -
hicle control. ..,.

@ Tips
-ABS and AS R on ly wor k co rrectly when
a ll fo ur wheels are eq uipped w ith identi­
ca l tires . Different tire s izes can lead to a
r educt io n in eng ine power.
- You may hear noises when the sys tems
desc ribed are working.
- If the indicato r light
D] or m (USA
models) ;£1 (Canada models) appea rs,
there may be a malfunctio n ¢
page 19 ,
¢ pag e 19.
Switching on and off
ESP turns on automatically when you start
the engine .
Fig. 1 64 Center co nsole wit h ESP OFF button
Switching sport mode on
Press th e I,$ OF F I button ¢ fig. 164. The ac­
tions tak en by the ES P syst em to stabili ze th e
ve hicl e are lim ited. In ve hicl es w it h fro nt
wheel drive, the an ti-s lip reg ulat ion (ASR) is
limited . In vehicles wi th a ll-wheel d rive, t he
AS R is switc hed off. The
I ES P i ndicator lig ht
turns on and the message
Caution! Reduced
tract ion ¢.&
appears in the driver informa ­
tion system d isplay.
The fo llow ing examples a re u nusua l situa­
tions where it may make sense to switc h sport
mode on in order to a llow the whee ls to spin:
- Rocking the vehi cle back and forth when it is
stuck
- D rivin g in d eep snow or on loose groun d
- D riving wi th s now cha ins
Intelligent technology 191
Switching sport mode off
Press the In OF FI but ton ag ain. T he ltJ in dica ­
tor lig ht tur ns off an d the message
Stability
program on
appears in t he d river info rmation
system display .
&_ WARNING
-- Drive whee ls can sp in and you can lose
contro l of t he ve hicle more eas ily w hen
ASR and ESP are in sport mode, especial­
ly whe n th e road is slippery.
- Sw itch to sport mode only when your
driving sk ills, traff ic and weat her co ndi­
tions perm it.
@ Tips
You cannot sw itch sport mode on whe n
adaptive c ruise control* is w orki ng.
Braking
General information
Wha t affe cts bra king effici ency?
-
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles a re still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­ i ng co nd it io ns and driving habits ¢,& . On ve­
hi cles that a re e it h er dr iven most ly in stop­
and-go city t raff ic or are dr iven hard, the
br ake pa ds should be check ed by yo ur au thor­
iz ed Audi dea ler m ore often th an spec ified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have yo ur brake pads ins pected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On stee p slopes, you sho uld use the br aking
e ff ect o f the engine. This way, you prevent un ­
necessary wear on t he brake system. If you
must use your bra kes, do not hold the brakes
down cont in uous ly. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Moisture or road salt
U nder certa in conditions, for exam ple, when
driving th roug h water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your veh icle , the b raking
effect can be reduced due to m oist ure (or in ..,.

192 Intelligent technology
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too
,
you should clean off accumulated salt coating
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
Q & .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
f irmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
Q & .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have failed
Q & .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically.
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running
Q & .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
Q page 258, Changing a wheel.
WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often . This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
~

196 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
... Avoid hig h engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
... Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transm ission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break-in period
... Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next hig her gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
c:> page 11.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
in . How well this break- in p rocess is do ne de­
pends to a conside rable extent on th e way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,0 00 miles
(1, 500 k ilome ters).
0 Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, these rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an engine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing .
A WARNING
New tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "broken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les ( 500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lled .
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re t hey have optima l grab
c:> A .
During the break- in period, you should avoid
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include, for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
A WARNING
New b rake pa ds don't have t he bes t stop­
pi ng power and mus t be "broke n-in " dur­
i ng the in iti al 1 00 to 150 mi les (150 to
20 0 k ilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the
br ake peda l mo re f irm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.

198 Driving and en vironm ent
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
t ion will give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con ­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns.
Trailer towin g 201
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Alw ays use saf ety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra iler lights must meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check with your Audi dea ler fo r cor re ct
wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must i nsta ll ext ended mir rors . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis ion to the rear .
.8, WARNING
-
Afte r removing the trailer hit ch, do no t
s tore i t in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
b raking, the h itch cou ld fly forwar d an d in­
ju re you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a ty pical
cl ass 1 or class 2 tra ile r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the loa d in the tr aile r is held secure ly
i n place to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ &. in Driving instru ctions on page 20 2.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
perfo rmance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the coo ling syst em has enough
f lui d.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer , inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under .,..
•
•

202 Trailer towing
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and t ire manufac ­
turers' specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other
ve­
hicles.
.. Observe speed limits .
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early .
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at
very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent poss ible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi- ble,
transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tong ue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed . Re­
duce your speed
even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trai lers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhi ll, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 11
must be observed carefu lly. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the d isplay turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ¢
page 16 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
a trai ler because of the additional weight and ..,.