lock AUDI Q7 2012 Owner´s Manual

210 Child Saf ety
is locked so that the child and child safety
seat will stay in place .
A lways remember: Even though your veh icle is
equipped w ith an Advanced A irbag system, all
children, especially those 12 years and young­
er, should always ride in the back seat proper­
ly restrained fo r their age and s ize.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat . An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a col lision .
- Always make su re that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt is attached is sec urely latched when­
ever the rear center safety be lt is being
used to sec ure a child restraint.
- If the backrest is not securely latched,
the chi ld and the child restraint will be
thrown forward together with the back­
rest and will strike parts of the veh icle
inter ior. The child can be serious ly in­
jured or killed.
- Never install rear-facing chi ld safety
seats or infant carriers on the front pas­
senger seat . A ch ild will be ser iously in ­
jured and can be k illed when the passen­
ger ai rbag inflates.
- T he inflating a irbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carri er w ith great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety sea t
and child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roo f.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
sea ts or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-fa cing ch ild safety seats or in­
f ant ca rr iers installed on the front pas- senger's seat may interfere with the de­
ployment of the a irbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- It is safer to install a forward-facing
child safety seat on the rear seat.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used ¢
page 200. Special
precautions apply when insta lling a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 181, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
.&_ WARNING
Always take specia l precautions if you
must install a forw ard or rearward-fa cing
chi ld restraint on the front p assenge r's
seat in exceptional situations:
- W henever a forw ard or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat , the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignit ion is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described¢
page 190, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Take the chi ld restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not s tay on
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on.
- Imprope r installation of ch ild restra ints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
p revent them from providing any protec­
tion .
- An improperly installed ch ild restra int
can int erfere with the airbag as it de­
p loys and se riously injure o r even k ill the
child.
- Always carefu lly follow the manufact ur­
er's ins tructions p rov ided with t he chi ld
safety sea t or carrier.
- Neve r place add itiona l it ems on the seat
that c an in crease the tot al weight reg is­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
~

A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-fac ing
seat has been des igned and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forwa rd -facing child re ­
straint up, against or
very near the in­
strument panel.
-Always
move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the a irbag as poss ible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upr ight
posit ion .
- Make sure that the
PA SSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched
on.
A WARNING
Rearward-fac ing c hild restra ints:
- A ch ild in a rearwa rd-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenge r
sea t will be ser iously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates -
even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- T he inflating a irbag w ill hit the child
sa fety sea t or infant carrier w ith g reat
f orce and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, cente r
armrest, door or roo f.
- Always be especially caref ul if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception ­
al circumstances.
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and reg is­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced A ir­
bag System. The heav ier we ight regis­
tered can make the system work as
th ough an adult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced Ai rbag when it must
Child Sa fet y 211
be suppressed causing serio us or even
fatal injury to the ch ild.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignit ion is switched
on.
- I f the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immed i­
ately insta ll the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rea r seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi dea le r.
Activating the convertible locking
retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the ch ild safety seat manufactur­
er's instr uctions when installing a child re­
stra in t in your veh icle. To a ctivate the conve r­
t ible Lac king re tr actor:
"' Place the child rest raint on a seat, p re fera­
bly on the rea r seat.
"' Slowly pu ll the belt
all the way out .
"' Route i t aroun d or throug h the ch ild re­
s train t belt path
¢ .&_ .
"' Push the chi ld safety seat down with your
fu ll weight to get t he safety be lt really tight.
"' Insert the belt tong ue into the b uckle for
that seating position.
"' Guide the safety be lt back into the retractor
until the be lt lies flat and snug on the ch ild
safety sea t.
"' Yo u should hear a " clicking" no ise as the
be lt winds back i nto the inertia ree l. Test the
c onvert ible lo cki ng ret ra ctor by pulling on
the belt . You sho uld no longer be able to
pull t he be lt out of the retractor . The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activated.
"' Ma ke s ure that the red release button is fac­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled qu ick ly.
"' Pull on the belt to make sure t he safety belt
is prop erly tight and fasten ed so tha t the
seat ca nnot
move forwa rd or sideways more
t han one inch (2.5 cm). .,. •
•

212 Child Saf ety
_& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im ­
properly insta lled child restraint can cause
ser ious persona l injury or death in a crash .
- Always make sure that the safety be lt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buck le the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not s itting in it.
A loose ch ild safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a crash .
-Always make sure the seat backrest to wh ich the child restraint is installed is in
an upr ight position and securely latched
into p lace and cannot fo ld forwa rd. Oth­
erwise, the seatbac k w ith the child safety
sea t attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer­ gency situation .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used ¢
page 200. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 181, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
.. Press the red button on the safety be lt
buc kle. The belt tongue wi ll pop out of the
b uck le .
.. Gui de t he safety belt all the way back in to
its s towed posit ion .
A lways le t the safety bel t retract complete ly
in to i ts stowed posit ion. The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary sa fe ty belt with ­
out the convert ib le lock ing retractor for chi ld
restraints.
-
If the convertib le locking retractor should be
activated inadvertent ly, the safety be lt must
be unfastened and guided complete ly back in­
to its stowed posit ion to deactivate this fea­
ture. If the convert ible locking retractor is not
deact ivated, the safety belt w ill gradually be­
come tighte r and uncomfortable to wear .
_& WARNING
=
Improperly installed ch ild safety seats in-
crease the risk of serious pe rsonal injury
and death in a co llision.
- Never u nfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the conve rtible locking retrac to r f or
child res traints while the vehicle is mov ­
ing . You would not be restrained and
could be se riously injured in an accident .
- Always rea d and heed a ll WAR NIN GS
whenever using a chi ld restrained in ave­
hicle is being used¢
page 200 . Special
preca utions apply when insta lling a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 181, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
T o p rov ide a simple r and more practicable way
to attach the child restraint on the vehicle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ial lower
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restra ints to attach to the veh icle ancho ­
rages .
The combination of t he tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally ca lled
the
L ATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for C hildren ."
Forward-facing chi ld restraints man ufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federa l reg ulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements . .,._

.. Make sure that each of the two guidance fix ­
tures per seat snaps into p lace.
Rem oving the guidance fi xture s
.. Remove the child restrai nt according the
child restra int manufacturer's instruct ions .
.. Push down on the seat cushion so that the
lower anchorages are visib le .
.. Pull
off the guida nee fix t u res from the low­
er anchorages.
.,. Always remove the guidance fixtures and
keep them in a safe place when not in use.
You may find it easier to install child re­
straints equipped with hooks attached to
straps without the guidance f ixtures in place.
If this is the case, remove the guidance fix­
tures by pull ing them
off the anchorages .
H owever, the guidance fixtures can he lp you
to locate the
LATCH anchorages.
_& WARNING
Improper use of tether anchorages or low­
er anchorages can cause serious personal
injury in a crash .
- Always carefully follow the ch ild re­
straint manufacturer 's instruct ions for
proper installation and use of child re­
straint systems.
- Never use the
LATCH or tether anchorag ­
es to attach safety belts o r other kinds of
occupant restraints .
- Child restraint tether attachments and
lower attachments are only designed to
secure a child restraint that has been equipped to use these anchorages.
- Tether anchorages and lower anchorages
are designed to withstand only those
loads imposed by correctly fitted chi ld
restraints. Under no circumsta nces can
they be used safely for adu lt or chi ld
safety belts o r harnesses .
- Never mount more than one ch ild re­
st raint to a sing le tether or to a lower an­
cho rage point. Attach ing two ch ild re­
st raints to a single anchorage point can
ca use the anchorage to fail and cause se­
rious persona l injury in a crash .
Child Safety 215
(D Note
-Remove the g uidance fixtures before
folding the rear seatback to prevent damaging the seat cushion .
- If you leave the guidance f ixtures instal­
led for several days , they could leave a
mark on the upholstery on the seat cush­
ion and backrest in the area that the
guidance fixtures were installed . The up ­
holstery would also be permanently
st retched a round the guidance fixtures.
T hi s app lies especia lly to leather seats.
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in ­
structions.
F ig. 213 Lowe r anc horages : prope r mount ing
Mountin g
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in t he upright position and securely
latched in place .
.. Attach both hook-on co nnectors with the
spring catch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connecto rs lock into place
~ fig. 213.
.. Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are properly attached to the LATCH
lower ancho rage .
.. Pull straps tight fo llowing the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions.
Relea sing
.. Loosen the tension on the straps following
the child restraint manufact urer's instruc ­
tions .

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDRs are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDRs that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Intelligent technology 219
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
General information
The ESC improves the vehicle stability.
. ..---------..
------- -
Fig. 218 Center console with ESC sw itch
ESC is designed to help you maintain vehicle
control in situations where the car approaches
the limits of "grip", especially when accelerat­
ing and cornering. ESC reduces the risk of
skidding and improves stability under all road
condit ions .
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination with the ABS system. If
the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESC will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic
Differential Lock (EDL) and the Anti-Slip Regu­
lation System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec­
tronic Stability Control. In addition to the da­
ta provided by these functions, the ESC con­
trol unit requires additional measurement da­
ta provided by high performance sensors. The
rotational speed of the vehicle about its verti­
cal axis, vehicle acceleration in the fore-and­
aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the steering angle are all measured.
T he direction in wh ich the driver wishes to
travel is determined with the aid of the steer­
ing angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actua l behavior of the ve­
hicle. If the two do not match, for example,
when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESC will automatically brake the appro-
priate wheel to correct the problem. ..,_
•
•

220 Intellig ent technol ogy
The vehicle is then stabilized by the forces act­
ing on the whee l during braking. If the vehicle
is
oversteering (rear tends to sk id out of the
turn), the brakes are ma inly applied on the
wheel that is on the outside of the curve. In
the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the
brakes are applied as needed on the whee l
that is on the ins ide of the curve or addit ional­
l y on the o ther wheels. An acoustic s ignal indi­
cates when ESC b rake app lication cuts in
¢ A .
The system operates across the entire speed
range in combination with the ABS system
¢ page 223. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESC wi ll be out of ac­
tion as well .
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESC w ill auto­
mat ica lly be act ivated and will perform a se lf­
test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the sys­
tem is in normal operating mode.
Offroad mod e
ESC should normally be ope rated in normal
mode because this ensures maximum vehicle
stability. If necessary, you can act ivate the
ESC offroad mode by pressing the but to n
¢ fig . 218 to obtain maximum traction and
braking ability when driving
off paved roads at
l ow speeds. In ESC offroad mode, the indica­
tor light
fi illuminates and the message Off ­
road control Warning! Red uced t ract ion
ap­
pears briefly in the display .
The ESC offroad mode can be usefu l in the fo l­
low ing except iona l situations when slip or a
h ighly effective differentia l locking function is
desirable . Examples:
- when driving with tire chains,
- when driving in deep snow or on loose
ground,
- when driving on uneven surfaces with the
wheels severe ly unloaded (articulation), and
- when rocking the vehicle loose after it has
become stuck.
When the unusua l situat ion is past, you
should shift back to the normal ESC operating mode by pushing the button again
. The mes­
sage
S tabilit y prog ram on then appears brief­
l y in the display.
H ill descent control
T he hill descent con trol is swi tched on in ESC
offroad mode . When slowly descending steep
gradients on loose gro und or when the axles
are articulated, hill descent control provides
ass istance by automatically applying the
brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The ve­
hicle is also rendered easier to steer by selec­
t ive d istr ibut ion of braking force . H ill descent
control intervenes when:
- the acce lerator pedal is not pressed,
- the vehicle is travelling less than 12 mph
(20 km/h),
- a steep gradient is detected,
- wheel behavior indicates loose ground or
conditions with poor adhesion (e.g . a lso axle
articu lation).
Hill descent con tro l operates both d riving for­
ward and in reverse. Active hill descent con­
trol is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal unti l the conditions for activation al­
ready listed are met again.
A WARNING
- The Electronic Stability Control is never­
theless subject to the laws of phys ics. It
is part icu larly important to pay attention
to this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore impo rtant that you a lways
a dapt your d riving to the condit ion of the
road and traffic cond itions. Do not allow
the increased safety provided by the Electron ic Stability Control system to lull
you into accepting additional safety
risks.
- Please be aware that in ESC offroad
mode, particularly on a smooth and s lip­
pery road, the wheels may have an in­
creased tendency to spin and the vehicle
may break away - danger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the ESC offroad
mode.

Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the
rotational speed of the drive wheels.
G ener al note s
The electronic differentia l lock (EDL) helps the
car to start mov ing, accelerate and climb a
gradient on surfaces providing poor or almost
no gr ip . W ithout EDL, this would be difficult,
if not impossible .
How the s yst em work s
The EDL operates automatically . It monitors
the rotat ional speed of wheels w ith the help
of the ABS sensors <=>
page 223. If a noticea­
ble
slip i s detected at the wheels (e.g . on slip­
pery ground
on one side), the spinning 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). Noises from the b rake system signal that wheel spin is being
contro lled .
Driving off
When driv ing off , a lways be sure to keep road
conditions in mind as you accelerate . If one
drive whee l spins because it is on a surface
with less grip, apply
plenty of throttle until
the car starts to move.
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc brake of the b raked wheel
from ove rheating if subjected to excessive
l oads on this whee l, the EDL cuts out tempo ­
ra rily. The vehicle remains operational and be­
h aves in the same way as a vehicle without
EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL
switches on again automatically .
A WARNING
-When accelerating on slippery surfaces,
such as on ice or snow, always be careful
when depressing the acce lerator pedal.
Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and reduce your ability
to control your car . R isk of crash!
Int ellig ent technolog y 221
-The increased safety afforded by EDL
does not mean that you can take safety
risks. Always adapt your driving style to
the road condit ions and traffic situation .
(!) Tips
If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also
not functioning. This is ind icated by the
ABS warning light <=>
page 18.
' Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the
driven wheels from spinning when the car is
accelerating.
G eneral not es
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is inte­
grated in the Electronic Stability Control
(ESC). When the vehicle starts up and acceler­
ates, the wheels are prevented from spinning
by adjust ing the eng ine power to match the
amount of grip available from the road sur ­
face .
How the system works
ASR performs automatica lly, i.e. without the
driver 's intervention. With the aid of the ABS
sensors <=>
page 223, ASR monitors the speed
of the dr iven wheels. If the wheels start to
spin, engine torque is reduced automatically
unt il the t ires find enough grip to lock onto
the road surface. The system is active across
the enti re speed range.
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If
a malfunction should occur in the ABS, the
ASR wi ll also be ou t of act ion.
A WARNING
The increased safety affo rded by ASR does
not mean that you can take sa fety risks.
A lways adapt your driving sty le to the road
conditions and traffic situation. ...,
•
•

-Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion 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 dimin ish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "r ide the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to bra ke. Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, prema ture wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions 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.
- Driv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads w ithout us ing your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- 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 co uld
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running¢ &,.
Int ellig ent technolog y 223
A WARNING
-Never let the veh icle 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
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the la ck of booster assistance .
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up un­
der braking.
T he ABS contributes effect ively to vehicle con­
trol s ince it preve nts the whee ls from
locking
when the brakes are applied. This means that
the vehicle remains steerable and is less likely
to skid .
With ABS y ou do not nee d to pump the
bra ke. Just h old t he br ake ped al d own .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten
braking distance under
all circumstances.
When dr iving on g ravel or on new ly fallen
snow o n top of icy s urfaces, braking dis tance
may be even longer, therefore, under these
circumstances, it is especia lly important that
you drive s low ly and wit h great care.
How the ABS s ystem works
An a utomat ic check is made when a speed of
about 12 mph (20 km/h) is reached . When
th is happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
If an ind iv idual whee l begi ns to rotate too
s low ly in relation to vehicle speed and tends
to lock, the ABS automatically reduces brake
pressure to prevent tha t whee l from locking .
T his automatic adjustment p rocess will cause
a
sli ght vibrati on of the brake pedal and some
no ises to a le rt you that ve hicle speed m ust be
adapted to existing road and traffic condi ­
tions. •
•

224 Intellig ent technol ogy
8_ WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always
remember that bra king capability is limit­
ed by t ire traction . Always adjust your dr iv­
ing spee d according to the road and t raffic
co nditions. Do no t let t he extra sa fety af­
forded by the ABS tempt you into ta king
extra risks. The ABS cannot overcome the
laws of physics.
@ Tips
- If ABS is not functioning prope rly, a
warning light will come on. See
¢page 18 .
-If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is al­
so not functioning. This is indicated by
the ABS warning light .
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is designed to achieve the
optimum braking effect .
The brake assistant helps to increase the ef­
fective b rak ing power and thus to achieve a
shorter stopp ing distance. If the driver
presses the brake pedal very quickly, the brake
assistant automatica lly boosts the braking
force to the maximum level, up to the point where the anti-lock brake function (ABS) inter­
venes to stop the wheels from locking. You
should then keep the brake pedal pressed un­
til the veh icle has braked to the required
speed . The brake assistant sw itches itself off
as soo n as you re lease the brake pedal.
Automatic full braking a ssist
This funct ion allows full brak ing in spite of
h igh brake pedal forces (e .g . when the brakes
a re severely stressed because the vehicle is
fully loaded) . The driver notices th is function
throug h a reduction of pedal force and in­
creased pedal trave l. When the brake peda l is
r e leased, fu ll braking assis t switc hes off again
automatically.
I f the re is an ABS fa il ur e, the brake ass ista nt
and automatic full b rak ing ass ist are not avai l­
ab le . The brake assistant wi
ll not be operative if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS .
8_ WARNING
-Please remember that the accident risk a l-
ways increases if you drive too fast, espe­
cially in corners or on a slippery road, or if
you follow the veh icle ahead of you too
closely. Increased r isk of an accident can­
not be compensated for even by the brake
assistant, so always maintain a safe speed.
Servotronic ® -
advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering
system senses the road speed and electron i­
cally adjusts power assistance to provide com­
fortab le and safe steering response exact ly
matched to the vehicle speed .
Power steer ing will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn .
The power steering fluid level is checked dur­
ing the scheduled maintenance services .
d) Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
will still function like a conven­
tiona l powe r steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
l onger proportionate to the vehicle speed .
This is most not iceable when turning the
stee ring wheel at low speeds (fo r example
when pa rking), - more effort w ill be re­
q uired than us ua l.
- Be aware o f the different than usual
steering response and adjust your steer ­
ing force accordingly.
- Have the problem checked and set r ight
by an Audi dealer as soon as possible .

@ Tips
- When the engine is running, never hold
the steer ing whee l turned a ll the way to
the right or t o the left f or longer than 15
seconds . The power steering pump w ill
overheat the hydraulic f lu id if you keep
hol ding the steer ing wheel turned all the
way . This is likely to damage the power
steering system .
- If the power steer ing system should fail
ent irely, or if the engine is not running
(fo r example , while being towed), you
will still be able to steer the vehicle .
However ,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so.
- If the power s teer ing system should
have a leak, or is not f unct ioning proper ­
l y, contact yo ur authorized Audi deale r
immediately.
- The power stee ring system requires a
spec ially formulated hydraulic fl uid. The
power steer ing reservo ir is the one locat­
ed farthest to the rear on the left side of
the engine compartment
c> page 260.
The co rrect flu id leve l in the reservoi r is
i mportant for p roper functioning of the
power steer ing .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-whe el drive , oil four whe els ore driv ­
en.
General information
W ith all -whee l dr ive , power is dis tr ibuted to
a ll fo ur wheels. This happens automatica lly
dep ending on yo ur driving sty le and the road
conditions at th e time . See a lso
¢ pag e 221,
Electronic differential lock ( EDL) .
Winter tires
When driv ing in the w inter , your ve hicl e w it h
all -wheel drive has an advan tage, even with
regu lar tir es. In wint er road conditions it may
be adv isable to mount wint er tires (o r all -sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and b rak-
Int ellig ent technolog y 225
ing: t h ese tires must be mounted on all four
wheels. See also ¢
page 289, Winter tires .
Tire chains
Where tire chains a re ma ndatory o n cer tain
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 290, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must always have ti res of t he same s ize. A lso avo id tires
with different t read dep ths. For det ails see
page
c!;> pag e 285, New tir es and replacing
tires and wheels .
_& WARNING
A lways adj ust yo ur driv ing to road and traf­
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
-Altho ugh the all-wheel drive is very ef ­
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippe ry road surfaces .
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide o n top of the water
(aquaplaning). If th is should occur, yo u
will have no w arning from a s udden in­
cre ase in engine speed as w ith a front ­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
E nergy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l energy system
is not drive n for a long per iod of t im e, the bat­
te ry is discharged by idling cur rent consume rs
(e .g. immobi liz e r) . In cert ain circum stan ces it ..,_
•
•