driving in snow AUDI Q7 2013 Owner´s Manual

22 Driver in formation d ispl ay
Outside temperature display
Fig. 11 Display : outside temperature
At temperatures below 41 °F (+S °C) a snow­
flake symbol appears ahead of the tempera­
ture display . It is intended to remind the driv­
er to pay spec ial attent ion to
ic e on the roa d.
If the vehicle is stationary, or if you are driving
at a very low speed, the temperature shown in
the display might be slightly higher than the
actual outside temperature . Th is is caused by
the heat being rad iated from the engine .
If you have selected the °C (degrees Celsius)
unit for temperature in the MMI, the outside
temperature display also appears automat i­
cally in
°C.
A WARNING
- Never rely excl usively on the outside
temperatu re d isplay to determine if a
road surface is icy or not . Keep in mind
that road surfaces, especially bridges
and overpasses, could be ice covered and
s li ppery even at an outs ide temperature
above 41 °F (+ S °C).
- Always remember, even if the "snow­
flake" symbol (ice warn ing) does not ap­
pear in the display, black ice could be on
the road.
- Always reduce your speed and dr ive with
special care in cold weather conditions
when the chance of encountering icy road s urfaces increases .
Digital speedometer
Fig. 12 Display: Digi tal speedometer
Current speed appears in the disp lay. Speed is
shown in 1 mph measures (USA models) or 1
km/h measures (Canada models) .
You can switch the disp lay from m iles to kilo­
meters and vice versa via the MMI.
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the
rear lid have been left open .
Fig. 13 Display: open doo r or rea r lid wa rning
With the ign it ion sw itched on, the ope n door
or rear lid warning illuminates when at least
one door or the hood or the trunk lid is not
cl osed . The symbol a lso shows you
which
doo r(s) o r lid is not closed.
In the illustration
~ fig . 13 it is the dr iver's
doo r, the left rear door and the rear lid. As
soon as all the doors, the hood, the rear lid
and the f uel filler cap are prope rly closed, the
door and rear lid warning turns off and the
Driver Information System functions selected
are displayed again.

64 Clear vis ion
General information
The winds hield wipers and the w indshield
washer system operate only with the ignition
on.
During a temporary stop , e.g . at a t raff ic sig­
na l, the set wipe speed is automatically re­
duced by one stage.
The winds hield washer no zzles a re heated at
l ow temperatures when the ignition is on .
Removing w ate r droplet s
About 5 seconds after the wash cycle is com­
plete, the wiper system performs a single au ­
tomatic wipe cycle to remove any water drop­
l ets that remain on the windshield whi le dr iv ­
ing.
If you would like to deactivate this delayed
wipe cycle wh ile driving, you have to pull the
l eve r to pos ition ® again within 10 seconds
after this wipe cy cle.
Water droplet removal is reactivated after the
ignit ion is switched off and then on again .
Winter position
To speed up de -icing of the w indshield w ipers,
t hey move to the winter posi tion when the ig­
n ition is switched off and at an outside tem­
perature below 39
°F (4 °(). In this posit ion ,
the w indshield wipers are in an area on the
g lass w hich is reached by the a ir vents below
the glass. It is also easier to remove snow and
ice from the wi ndshield wipers in this posi­
tion .
The wipe rs leave the w inte r position, when
the ign ition is swi tc h ed on, if the winds hield
wiper lever is operated or the active rain sen­
sor reacts to moistu re.
Rain sensor
The rain senso r operates on ly in the inte rva l
wiper position . When it sta rts to ra in , the in­
terval wipe r mode is activated automati ca lly.
If the windshie ld w iper lever is in the inte rval
wipe posit ion w ith the ign ition switched off, the ra
in sensor is not activated until ve hicle
sp eed is above 4 mph (6 km/h).
T o red uce the sensi tivi ty of the rain senso r,
the switch @ mus t be moved down . T o in­
crease the sensitivity of the rain sensor, the
switch must be moved up.
T he higher the sensit iv ity se tt ing , the sooner
the windshie ld wipers react to moist ure on
the windshie ld . I nc reased sensitivity is sig­
naled by the windshie ld wipers making a sin­
gle pass over the windshield.
T he rain sensor w iper intervals depend on the
sensitivity setting as well as vehicle speed.
D uring brief stops, wiper motio n will adj ust in
relat ion to the amount o f rain on the w ind­
shield .
A WARNING
-W iper blades are crucial for safe driving!
O nl y when they are i n good co ndit io n are
they able to clear the windows prope rly
to p rov ide uncompromised vis ib ility.
Wo rn o r damaged wipe r blades are a
safety ha zard
~ page 66, Replacing
windshield wiper blades!
- T he rain sen so r is only designed to assist
a nd suppor t the driver.
It rem ains enti re­
ly the d river 's responsibility to monitor
outside weathe r conditions and to man­
ually activate the wipe rs as soon as rain
or driz zle reduces visibility through the
windshie ld.
(D Note
In freezing or near freezing conditions:
- Always check that the w iper b lades are
not frozen to the g lass before you turn
the wipe rs on . Loosen a wiper blade
wh ich is frozen in place before operating
the wipers to prevent damage to the
w iper blade or the wiper motor.
- Do not use the w ipers to clear a frosted
w indow. Us ing the wipers as a conven­
ient ice scrape r will destroy the wiper
blades .

given to another person, the saved settings remain as they are .
System limitations
General information
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise co ntrol
The radar sensor has limits that the driver
must know to be able to use ACC properly .
The adaptive cruise control works within lim­ its that are also related to radar sensor range
and sight distance . In some situations ACC
may react unusually or late from the driver's
point of v iew. Therefore, always be attent ive
to what is happening around you and always
be ready to intervene, if necessary:
-when driving around curves ¢page 125
- when vehicles up front are not in line with
your vehicle ¢ page 126
- when other veh icles are changing lanes
i=> page 126
- when other vehicles are difficult to detect i=>page 126
- when vehicles up ahead are not moving or obstacles are in your travel lane i=>page 126
A WARNING
The radar sensor's function and range can
be reduced by rain, snow and heavy spray.
Moving veh icles up ahead may not be
prompt ly detec ted or may not be detected
a t all.
- Always pay careful att ention to the traf­
fic s ituation and be ready to intervene
and be re ady to take comp lete cont rol
whenever necessary.
Ad apti ve crui se control 125
When driving around curves
App lies to vehicles: wit h adaptive cruise control
Fig. 139 Ve hicle e nter ing a curve
Fi g. 140 Ve hicle leav ing a curve
Entering a curv e
When entering a curve, the adaptive cruise
control may react to a vehicle in the next lane
and apply the brakes in your vehicle
¢ fig . 139. The braking action can be overrid·
den by depressing the accelerator pedal.
L e aving a curv e
At the end of very long curves, ACC's predic­
tive lane reading can cause ACC to react to an­
other vehicle in the next lane and app ly the
brakes on your vehicle¢ fig . 140. The braking
action can be overr idden by depress ing the ac­
ce lerator pedal.

130 Audi side assist
-The radar sensor's vision can be reduced
or entirely blocked by rain, snow, and
heavy spray . This can result in side assist
not adequately detecting vehicles or, in
some cases, not detecting them at all.
Always keep an eye on the direction you
are traveling and the relevant area
around the vehicle.
- Please note that side assist indicates
there are approaching vehicles, or
vehicles in your blind spot, only after
your vehicle has reached a driving speed
of at least 19 mph (30 km/h).
- Side assist signal does not work around
tight corners (turning radius less than
328 feet, or 100 m).
- Side assist is no replacement for the driv­
er's full attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for lane changes and similar
driving maneuvers. Always keep an eye
on the direction you are traveling and the relevant area around the vehicle.
- To ensure that you do not adversely af­
fect side assist, do not block the area on
the rear bumper where the radar sensors
are located with foreign objects (such as
stickers or bicycle racks).
- Make sure that the signal light on the
outside mirror is not blocked by stickers
or other items.
(Di Tips
- Side assist automatically deactivates if it
detects that the radar sensors are
blocked ¢
page 135. The indicator light
on the button goes out .
- The area on the bumper where the radar
sensors are located must consistently re­
main free of snow, ice, and heavy soiling
so that side assist can function properly.
Follow the additional notes on
¢page 136.
-For vehicles with a factory installed tow­
ing hitch* or a trailer hitch* that was in­
stalled later according to factory specifi­
cations, side assist is automatically deac- tivated
as soon as the electrical connec­
tion to the trailer electrical socket is made
¢ page 135.
-For vehicles with a trailer hitch that was
not installed according to factory specifi­
cations, switch off the side assist when
towing a trailer .
- Additional tinting on the front side win­
dows can make it harder to see and cor­
rectly understand the signal light on the
outside mirror.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions¢
page 328.
Sensor detection area
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
-----··· .... ·--·--
@ / ,
--­
ill b''T -
Fig. 150 Sc hematic illustration: Sensor detectio n area
The detection ¢ fig. 150 of the radar sensor
detection area is made up of:
-
- the approach area (light red area) (D, about
230 feet (70 m) behind the vehicle, and
- the "blind spot" (dark red area) @.
The radar sensors cover the adjacent left and
right lanes. Other lanes are
not covered by the
radar sensors.
(D Tips
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width. The system assumes a fixed lane
width . Detection in the left and right lanes
is based on this assumed lane width.
When driving on narrow roads or when
driving to the left or right of the center of
a travel lane, it is possible that vehicles
will be detected that are
not in the lane

136 Audi side a ssis t
Safety tips
App lies to vehicles: wit h side ass ist
The s ide ass ist detect ion may be lim ited when
d riving around narrow street corners , on hilly
streets, and under poor weathe r cond itions.
It is poss ible that the radar sensors may also
detect other objects , such as high or stag­
gered guardra ils .
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width . The system assumes a fixed lane w idth .
Detection in the left and r ight lanes is based
on this assumed lane width . When driving on
na rrow roads or when driving to the left or
right of the center of a travel lane , it is possi ­
b le that vehicles will be detected that are
not
in the lane next to the lane you are using.
A WARNING
- Improper reliance on the s ide assist sys­
tem can cause collisions and serious per­
sonal injury :
- Never rely only on side assist when
changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side ass ist cannot detect a ll vehicles un­
der all cond itions- danger of accident!
- Side ass ist cannot detect vehicles in time
to alert you when they approach from beh ind at very h igh speeds or drop back
very quick ly .
- T he radar sensor's
vision can be reduced
or entirely blocked by rain, snow, and
heavy spray. This can result in side assist
not adequately detecting vehicles or, in
some cases, not detecting them at a ll.
Always keep an eye on the direction you are traveling and the relevant area
around the vehicle .
- Please note that side assist indicates
there are approaching vehicles, or
vehicles in your blind spot, only after
your vehicle has reached a driving speed
of at least 19 mph (30 km/h). -
Side assist signa l does not work around
tight corners (turning radius less than
328 feet, or 100 m).
- Side assist is no replacement for the driv­
er 's full attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for lane changes and sim ilar
driving maneuvers. Always keep an eye
on the d irect ion you are traveling and the
re levant area around the vehicle.
(D Note
To ensure that side assist is not adversely
affected, you should not block the area on
the rear bumper where the radar sensors
are located with foreign objects (such as
with stickers or bi cycle racks).
(D Tips
If the pos itions of the radar sensors have
been changed as a result of a rear end-co l­
lision, for instance, have s ide assist
checked by an autho rized Aud i dealer for
safety reasons.

Parking systems
General information
App lies to vehicles: with rea r park assis t/Audi park ing sys ­
tem plus w ith rearview camera/front -and rearview cam ­
era
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, vari­
ous parking aids will help you when parking
and maneuvering.
The
rear park assist is an acoustic park assist
system that will give you a sound warning to let you know there is something
behind the
veh icle ¢page
144 .
The Audi parking system plus with rearview
camera
audibly and visually tells you there is
something
in front of and behind the vehicle .
A rearview camera also shows you what is be­
hind the vehicle ¢ page
144 .
The Audi parking system plus with front- and
rearview camera
audibly and visually tells you
there is something
in front of and behind the
veh icle. A front and rearview camera also
shows you what is in front of and behind the
veh icle¢ page
148 .
& WARNING
-Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di­
rect ly as well. The parking system cannot
replace the driver's attention. The driver
is a lways responsible for safety during
park ing and for all other maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as clothing, are not detected by the system.
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
wh ich people and objects cannot be de­
tected. Be especially cautious of children
and animals.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody . The
park ing systems may become impaired
as a resu lt. Have your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop check their
function.
- Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc-
Parking systems 143
tions as it may impair the sensor func­
tion. For informat ion on cleaning, refer
to¢ page
247.
([) Note
-Some objects are not detected by the
system under certain circumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer
draw bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall
extensions
- Objects w ith specific surfaces or struc­
tures such as chain link fences or pow­
der snow.
- If you continue driving closer to a low-ly­
ing object, it may disappear from the
sensor range. Note that you w ill no lon­
ger be warned about this obstacle.
@ Tips
-The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cov­
erage area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- externa l ultrasonic sources e .g . from
cleaning vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend tha t you practice park­
ing in a traff ic-free location or parking
lot to become familiar with the system.
When doing this, there should be good
light and weather cond itions.
- You can change the vo lume and pitch of
the s ignals as well as the disp lay
¢page
153.
- Please refer to the instructions for tow ­
ing a trailer ¢page
153.
-What appears in the MMI display is
somewhat time-delayed.

226 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 229. 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 . 232 to obtain maximum traction and
braking ability when driving
off paved roads at
l ow speeds. In ESC offroad mode, the indica­
tor light
Ii) ill uminates and the message Sta ­
b ilization control (E S C): Offr oad . Wa rning !
R estric te d stabilit y
appears br iefly in the dis­
p lay .
The ESC offroad mode can be useful in the fo l­
low ing except ional situations when slip or a
h ighly effective differential locking function is
des irable . Examp les:
- when driving with tire chains,
- when driving in deep snow or on loose
ground,
- when driving on uneven surfaces with the
whee ls severe ly unloaded (articulation), and
- when rocking the vehicle loose after it has
become stuck . When the
unusual situation is past, you
sho uld shift back to the norma l ESC operating
mode by pushing the button again . The mes­
sage
S ta b ilizat ion cont rol (ES C): O n then ap­
pears briefly in the display.
H ill desc ent control
The hill descent control is switched on in ESC
offroad mode . When slowly descending steep
gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are articulated, hill descent control provides ass istance by automatically apply ing 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. Hill 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. also axle
art iculation).
Hill descent contro l operates both d riving for­
ward and in reverse. Active hill descent con­
tro l is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal until the condit ions for activation al­
ready listed are met again .
A WARNING
--
- The Electronic Stabilization Contro l is
neverthe less s ubject to the laws of phys­
ics. It is part icularly important to pay at­
tention to this fact on wet and slippe ry
roads . It i s therefore important that you
always adapt your dr iving to the cond i­
tion of the road and traffic conditions . Do
not a llow the increased safety provided
by the E lectronic Stabilization Contro l
system to lull you into accepting addi­
tional safety risks .
- Please be aware that in ESC offroad
mode, particularly on a smooth and s lip­
pe ry road, the wheels may have an in­
creased tendency to sp in and the vehicle
may b reak away - dange r 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 .
General notes
The electronic differentia l lock (EDL) helps the
car to start movi ng, accelerate and climb a
gradient on surfaces providing poor or almost
no grip. Without EDL, this would be difficult,
if not impossible.
H ow the system works
The ED L opera tes automatically. It monitors
the rotat iona l speed of wheels w ith the help
of the ABS sensors¢
page 229. If a noticea­
b le
slip is detected at the wheels (e .g. on slip ­
pery ground
on one side), the spinning whee ls
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
brake system s ignal that wheel sp in is being
controlled.
Dri ving off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road
conditions in mind as you accelerate. If one
drive wheel spins because it is on a surface
w ith less gr ip, apply
plenty of throttle until
the car starts to move.
O verheating of br akes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel
from overheating if subjected to excessive
loads on this wheel, the EDL cuts out tempo­
rarily . T he vehicle remains operational and be­
haves in the same way as a veh icle w ithout
E DL.
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 carefu l
when depressing the acce le rator pedal.
Int ellig ent technolog y 22 7
Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and red uce your ab ility
to control your car. Risk of crash!
- 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 .
(D 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 .
General note s
The Anti-Slip Regu lation System (ASR) is inte­
grated in the Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC). When the vehicle starts up and acceler­
ates, the wheels are prevented from spinning
by adjust ing the engine power to match the
amount of grip available from the road sur­
face .
How the sy stem works
ASR performs automat ically, i.e. without the
driver's intervention. With the aid of the ABS
sensors ¢
page 229, ASR monito rs the speed
of the dr iven wheels .
If the wheels start to
spin, engine torque is red uced automat ically
unt il the t ires find enough grip to lock onto
the ro ad surface. The system is active across
the entire speed range.
T he ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If
a malfunc tion s hou ld occu r in the ABS, the
ASR wi ll also be out of act io n.
A WARNING ~
The increased safety affo rded by ASR does
not mean that you can take safety risks.
A lways adapt your driving sty le to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
Ill--
•
•

-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 brake. 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 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 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 229
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 lack 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 n eed 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 with 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 that whee l from locking .
T his automatic adjustment p rocess will cause
a
sli ght vibrati on of the brake pedal and some
noises to a le rt you that ve hicle speed m ust be
adapted to existing road and traffic condi ­
tions. •
•

@ 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 ab le 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 functioning proper­
l y, contact yo ur authorized Audi dealer
immediately.
- The power stee ring system requires a
spec ially formulated hydraulic fluid. The
power steering reservo ir is the one locat­
ed farthest to the rear on the left side of
the engine compartment
c> page 266.
The co rrect flu id level in the reservoir is
i mportant for proper functioning of the
power steer ing .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, oil four wheels ore driv ­
en.
Gener al information
W ith all -whee l dr ive , power is distributed to
a ll fo ur wheels. This happens automatica lly
depending on yo ur driving sty le and the road
conditions at the time . See also
¢ page 227,
Electronic differential lock (EDL) .
Winter tires
When driving in the w inter, your ve hicl e w it h
all -wheel drive has an advan tage, even with
regu lar tires . In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak-
Int ellig ent technolog y 231
ing: these tires must be mounted on all four
wheel s. See also ¢
page 295, Winter tires .
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory o n certain
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 296, 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 depths. For det ails see
page
c!;> page 291, New tires 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 warning from a s udden in­
crease in engine speed as w ith a front ­
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds which are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy 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 driven for a long per iod of t ime, the bat­
te ry is discharged by idling cur rent consume rs
(e.g. immobi liz e r). In certa in circumstan ces it ..,_
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