warning AUDI S3 2015 Owners Manual

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Smart Technology 191
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or
ESC /ASR on
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabili za- The sta lbili zation funct ion The fu ll stabili zation f unc-
tion func tions are lim ited is not available¢ .&,.. ESC tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢ .&,. .
and ASR are switched off . available again .
Operation P ress the I~ OFF I button Press and ho ld the I~ OFFI Press the I~ OFF I button
briefly. b
utton lo nger than 3 sec-
again.
onds.
Indi cator II turns on. II and jf'illt)H * tu rn on. II tur ns off or II and
light s jf 'ilftli~ * tur n off.
Driv er mes -Stab ilization control Stab ilization control Stabilization control
sages (ESC ): sport. Warning! (ESC ): off. Warning! Re- (ESC) : on
Restricted stability st ricted stability
_& WARNING
Yo u should o nly sw itch spor t mode on o r
switch ESC/ASR o ff if your driving abilities
and road condi tions pe rm it .
- T he s tabili zation func tion is limited
when sp ort mode is sw itche d on . T he
dr iving w hee ls co uld spin and the vehicle
cou ld swerve, especia lly on slick or slip ­
pery road surfaces.
- The re is no vehicle stabilization when
ESC/ASR a re switc hed off.
@ Tips
-
- ES C/ASR canno t be swi tched off or spor t
mode cannot be sw itche d on i f the cr uise
control system * or the a daptive cr uise
control * is switc hed on .
- Malfunc tions in the Audi mag net ic r ide
may make it impossib le to sw itch the
ESC/ASR off or to switch sport mode on.
Brakes
New brake pads
New b ra ke pads do not achieve their full brak­
i n g effect d uring the first
4 00 km. They must
be "broken in" first. However, yo u can com ­
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force
by pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy brak ing duri ng the break- in period.
Wear
Brake pad
wear is largely dependent on the
way the vehicle is driven and on operating
cond it ions . This is especially true if you are
driv ing frequently in the city and on curves or
with a sporty d riving style .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when bra king depending on
the speed, brak ing force and outs ide condi­
tions such as temperature and humid ity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certa in situations, for examp le after driv ing
th ro ugh water, in heavy rain, after overnight
condensation or after was hing your car, the
braking effect can be reduced by mois ture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads . The
brakes must be "d ried" first with
a few car eful
brake applications .
At higher speeds and with the windsh ield wip­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the b rake ro to rs fo r a shor t amo unt of t ime .
T h is act ion whi ch is not felt by the driver hap­
pens at reg ular intervals and facilita tes a bet­
t e r r ea ct ion time for the br ake s in we t wea th­
er.
T he bra king effect can a lso be reduced if you
are driv ing o n salted roa ds an d you do not ap­
ply the br akes fo r long peri ods of time. The
l aye r of sa lt on the brake rotors and pads
must be wo rn off first when the b rakes are ap -
plied. .,.
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192 Smart T echnol ogy
Corro sion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods o f
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake ro­
tors and di rty brake pads.
I f you usually avoid heavy brak ing or if there is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the
brake rotors and pads¢,& .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal t ravel has
suddenly gotten larger, then a brake circuit
may have failed. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to hav e the problem corrected . On the way
there, drive with reduced speed and keep in
mind that a long braking distance and in­
creased pressure on the brake pedal will be
necessary .
Lo w brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, ma lfunc ­
tions in the brake system may occur. The
brake fluid level is electronically mon itored.
B rake bo ost er
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It only works when
the engine is running.
A WARNING ,~ ·
- You should only perform braking maneu­
vers to clean the brakes when the road
condit ions perm it. Never put others on
the road at risk -never forget the risk of
acc idents!
- On steep slopes, reduce the speed and
select a lower gea r or lowe r selector lev­
er position. Drive as litt le as poss ible
w hil e pressing the bra ke peda l and avoid
putt ing you r left foot on the brake pedal
whi le driving . This could cause the brakes
to overheat and impair the efficiency of
the brakes .
- Do not let the brakes "grind" by always
keeping yo ur foot on the brake peda l. This can cause the brakes to overheat
in-
,
crease wear and increase braking dis­
tance unnecessarily.
- Certain weather and operating condi­
tions such as driving through water, driv­
ing in heavy rain or driving after washing
your veh icle can impa ir the effectiveness
of the brakes . In the winter, ice may
bu ild up on the bra ke pads, rotors and
d rums. Che ck these components by b rak­
ing caref ully. App lyi ng the br akes care­
fu lly several times dries the brakes and
removes ice bui ld-up .
- The eff ic iency of the brakes can also be
impaired by driving for long stretches on roads covered with salt without using the
brakes. Yo u can remove salt deposits
from the brake rotors and pads by care­
fully applying the brakes several times.
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you in­
stall another spoiler, make sure the front
wheel brakes are ventilated properly.
Otherwise , the brake system could over ­
heat, wh ic h red uces their effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impa irs braking
performance, wh ic h increases bra king
d istance . Avoid driving the vehicle and
have it towed it to the nearest author­
i z ed A udi dealer or au thorized Aud i Serv­
ice Facility .
- Do not let your ve hicle roll w it h the en­
g ine switched off unde r any circumstan­
ces .
- If the b rake booste r is no t working, you
will have to press much harder on the b rake peda l to compensate for the lack
of the booster.
(D Note
- N ever le t the bra kes "rub" by pressing
t he pedal ligh tly when braking is not
really necessary . This causes the brakes
to overheat and increases braking dis ­
tance and causes wear .
- Before dr iv ing on a long stretch with
steep s lopes, reduce your speed and shift
to the next lower gear This makes use of
the engine brak ing effect and relieves .,.

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the brakes. If you need to brake addit ion ­
ally, bra ke in intervals and not continu­
ously.
(D Tips
- If the brake boos ter is not wor king, you
must p ress the brake pedal with much
more force t hen no rma l.
- If yo u retrof it your vehicle with a front
s po ile r, wheel covers or similar items,
make sure that the air f low to the front
whee ls is not interrupted. Otherwise the
brake system can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The elec tromechanical steering suppor ts the
driver's s teering movements .
Powe r stee ring adapts electronically based o n
the veh icle speed.
The vehicle still has full stee ring fu nctionality
if the powe r steering fails o r whe n the eng ine
i s stopped (towi ng). To s teer, yo u must app ly
m uc h mo re fo rce than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If th is in dicator lig ht tu rns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering may have fa iled.
Do
not co ntin u e dr iving . See an autho rize d
Aud i dea ler o r autho rized Aud i Service Fac ility
for assistance.
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is a malf unct io n in the electro nic steer­
in g lo ck. You canno t turn the ign ition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
steered. See an autho rized Aud i dea le r or au­
thor ized Audi Se rv ice Facility for ass istance.
Ei:-Y Steering malfunction : you can continue
driving
I f the indicator light turns on, the steering
wheel may be more difficult to move or more
Smart Technolog y 193
sensit ive tha n usua l. The stee ring wheel may
also be at a n angle when dr iv ing stra ight .
D rive slowly to you r auth ori zed Audi de aler o r
qualifie d wo rkshop to have the ma lf u ncti on
correc ted.
II Steering lock : sy stem fault! Pl ease con ­
tact Service
T he re is a malfunction in the elec tronic steer­
ing lock .
D rive to an author ized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunc tion corrected.
A WARNING
Have the sys tem ma lf u nction co rrec ted as
soon as po ssible by an aut horiz ed Aud i
d e aler or au thoriz e d Au di Service Fa cili ty,
a s this incr eases the r is k of an acciden t.
(D Tips
If th e . or l~ij indi cator ligh t only s tays
o n for a short t ime , you may con tinue dr iv­
i ng.
ALL wheel drive
(quattro)
App lies to vehicles: wi th all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are pow­
ered.
General information
In all whee l dr ive, the dr iv ing power is divi ded
between all fo ur whee ls. Thi s happens auto ­
matically depending on yo ur driv ing behavior
as well as the current road conditions. Refer
to
¢ page 189, Electronic stabilization con­
trol (ESC) .
The all wheel drive concept is designed for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion­
a lly powerfu l and has excellent driving charac­
te ristics both under normal driv ing cond itions
and on snow a nd ice. Always read and follow
safety precaut ions¢ .&.. ..,.
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194 Smart Technology
Winter tires By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in winter
cond itions. However, in winter we recommend
using winter or all season tires on
all four
wheels, because this will improve the braking
effect .
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains
must also be used on vehicles with all whee l
drive ¢
page 262, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
Fo r vehicles w ith all whee l dr ive , only wheels
with the same rolling circumference should be
used . Avoid whee ls with different tread
depths ¢
page 254.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Aud i is not an offroad vehicle -there is
not enough ground clearance. For this reason,
avoid difficult terrain. Refer to¢
page 287.
&_ WARNING
- Also, in vehicles with all whee l dr ive,
adapt yo ur driving style to the current
road and traffic conditions. Do not let
the increased safety provided tempt you
into taking risks.
- The braking ability of your vehicle is lim­
ited to the traction of the wheels . In this
way, it is not different from a two wheel
dr ive vehicle. Do not be tempted to ac­
celerate to a high speed when the road is
slippery this increases the risk of an acci­
dent .
- Note that on wet streets, the front
wheels can "hydroplane" if driving at
speeds that are too high. Unlike front
wheel drive vehicles, the engine does not
rev higher suddenly when the vehicle be­
gins hydroplan ing. For this reason, pay
attention to the road conditions regard­
less of your speed.
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages
the electrical energy distribution and optimiz ­
es the availability of electrical energy for
starting the engine.
When a vehicle with a conventional energy
system is not driven for a long time , the bat­
tery is drained by equ ipment (for example the
immobilizer). In certain circumstances, there
could may not be enough energy to start the
engine .
Your vehicle is equipped with an intel ligent
energy management system for d istr ibut ing
electricity. This s ignificantly improves the
sta rting ability and increases the battery life.
The energy management sy stem Is made up
of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage·
ment
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
The battery d iagnosis determ ines the battery
charge leve l. The sensors determine the bat­
tery voltage, the battery current, and the bat­
tery temperature. The curren t cha rge leve l
and the performance of the battery are deter­
mined based on this.
Idling current management
The idling current management decreases the
energy used wh ile parked. With the engine
switched off, it manages the energy distribu­
tion to the different elect rical componen ts.
Date from battery diagnosis is taken into ac­
count for this.
Depending on the battery charge level, elec­
trical equip ment is switched off one item after
the o ther, to prevent the battery from drain­
ing and to retain the starting ability.
Dynamic energy management
While driving, dynamic energy management
distributes the appropriate amount of energy
to the e lectr ica l equipment.
It controls the
battery charge level so that more energy is ..,.

not used then is being generated in o rder to
maintain an optimal battery charge level.
@ Tips
- Energy management cannot overcome
the laws of physics. Note that the charge l evel and length of the battery life are
limited .
- When the start ing ability is endangered,
the (•) indicator light turns on
c!:>page20.
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority.
A lot of stress is p laced on the battery when
driving short distances, in traffic , and at co ld
times of the year. A lot of energy is used but litt le is generated. It is also critical when the
engine is not running but electrical equip­ ment is switched on . In this case, energy is
used but none is generated .
In situations like this, energy management
will actively regulated the distribution of en­ ergy.
Long periods without use
I f you do not drive your vehicle for several
days or weeks, e lectrica l equipment is gradu­
ally sca led back or switched off . This reduces
energy use and ensures the vehicle will be
able to start after long periods of time. Some
conven ience functions such as opening with
the remote contro l key may not be ava ilab le.
These convenience functions will be available
again once you switch the ign ition on and
start the engine.
With the engine switched off For example, if you listen to the radio when
the engine is switched off, the batte ry w ill
drain .
~ A warning text will appear if energy consump-
~ tion could impair starting ab ility . co ,....,
~ The message shows that you need to start the
~ engine in order to charge the battery. ,....,
Smart Technolog y 195
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated while driving, the battery can drain. This can happen
when litt le energy is generated, and much is
used and the charge leve l of the battery is not
optimal.
To restore the ba lance of energy, components
that require large amounts of energy are tem­
porari ly scaled back or switched off. Heating
systems in particular require a great deal of energy. If you notice, for example, that the
seat heating* or rear window defroster is not
working, then it has been temporar ily reduced
or switched off . These systems are availab le
again as soon as the energy balance has been
restored.
In add ition, you may notice that the idle
speed has slight ly increased . That is normal
and no cause for concern. Due to the in­
creased idling speed, the additional required
energy w ill be gene rated and the battery will
be charged.
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control
modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder ( EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that w ill assist in
understanding how a vehicle's systems per­
formed . Th e EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynam ics and safety sys­
tems for a short pe riod of time, typically
30 seconds or less . The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
- How various systems in your veh icle were
operating;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
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Driving and the
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 mil es
(1,000 kilometers):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds tha t are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine sp eeds .
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 ib le 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
transmission is i n N (Ne utra l) or in gear.
After the break- in period
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ome ter scale
¢ page 10.
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
i n. How well this break-i n process is done de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,0 00 miles
(1, 500 k ilome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds a re auto­
ma tica lly reduced. However, t he se RPM
lim its are pr ogr amme d for an eng ine t hat
is broken in, no t a new engine .
Driving and the environment 197
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessar ily hi gh en­
g ine speeds -upsh ifting ear ly saves f uel,
r educes noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be slippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing t he f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Bra ke gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re install ed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re they have optima l grab¢ .&. .
D uring the brea k-in pe riod, you should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pa ds don't have the best stop­
p in g p ower a nd must be "b ro ken -in " dur­
ing the ini tial 1 00 t o 150 miles (15 0 to
2 00 kilometers) o f no rma l cit y driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing t he
b rake peda l more fi rm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.
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198 Driving and the environment
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 or mud, the
braking effect can be reduced due to mois­
ture on the brake discs and brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off the brakes.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Determ ine the depth before driving
through water.
- 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 (corro­
s ion).
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
> Always use lead-free gaso line r=;, page 210,
Fuel supply .
> Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty.
> Never put too much motor o il in your engine
r=;, page 223, Adding engine oil > Never try to push- or tow -start your vehicle .
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The cata lytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
The temperature of the exhaust system is high, both when driv ing and after stopping
the eng ine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot . This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . Dur ing driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
r=;, page 223.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine could mis­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
IIJ,,

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can reach the catalytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System :
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lac k of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Cont ro l System is
operating properly, t he exhaus t gas can
have a s ulfu r-like exhaust gas smell unde r
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles: with d iesel eng ine
The diesel particulate filter fi lters nearly a ll of
the soot part icles out of the exhaust. The fil­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions. If the filter cannot clea n it­
self (for examp le, because you are only driving
short d istances) , the fil ter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbo l for the diesel
particulate f ilter illum inates ~ page 23.
A WARNING
- Do not park yo ur vehicle ove r flammable
materials such as g rass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system area or a fire could
start.
Dri ving and the en vironm ent 199
Placing your vehicle
out of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of
se rv ice for a longer time, contact your author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified repair fac ility .
They w ill advise yo u of impo rtant measures,
such as corrosion p rotection , maintenance
and storage p roced ures. Also follow the infor­
ma tion about the battery ~ page 228 .
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, env ironme ntal impact, and
wea r on your eng ine, b rakes and tires la rgely
depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving s tyle
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent. This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help t he env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONME NTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transpo rt Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the r oad, which will va ry depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, ro ad and weather con­
ditions, trip leng th, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating .
.,. Avo id unne cessary acceler ating and bra ki ng . .,..
•
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202 Trailer towing
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, always fo llow the operating
and drivi ng i nstr uctions 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 mu st be
mounted secure ly on the ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
h itch with a removab le ball mount. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch manu fac tur er to
make sure tha t you are using t he cor rect
hitch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way t hat
it does not interfe re with t he impact-absorb­
ing bumper syst em . No mod ifications should
be made to the vehi cle exhaust and brake sys ­
tems . From time to time, check th at a ll hit ch
mo unt ing bo lts remain secure ly fastened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount. This prevents the
hi tch from causing d amage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ A .
Trailer brakes
If you r tra ile r is eq uipped w ith a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r egulat ions . T
he trailer hyd raulic brake system mus t not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be
su re to c hec k w ith your Audi dea le r fo r cor rect
wiring, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regular o utside m irrors, then you
must insta ll ext ended mirro rs . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rea r.
,8. WARNING
-
Afte r removing t he trailer hit ch, d o no t
s tore it in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
br aking, t he h itch cou ld fly forward an d in­
j ur e you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r weight
A trai le r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typi cal
class 1 or class 2 trai le r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the load in the t ra ile r is held secure ly
i n p lace to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
backw ard or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ A in Driving instru ctions on page 203.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system 's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make su re that the coo ling system has enough
fl uid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under
ll>

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer t ires to tra iler and t ire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins 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 su re they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the tra ile r
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 poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, p lease note the following:
~ Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it­
self is not loaded.
~ Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles.
~ 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 highly 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 permiss i­
ble, wh ile keeping the trailer as light as poss i­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi-
Trailer towing 203
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
T he higher the speed, the mo re difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissib le speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle 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 temperatu re gauge <=> page 12
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 display turn on.
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to .<=>
page 20.
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 d ifferently when towing
a trailer because of the additional weight and ..,.
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