Audi Q5: Driving the automatic transmission

Fig. 136 Shift gate on the center console: selector lever with release button

Starting the engine

• The selector lever must be in P or N.

Starting off

• Press and hold the brake pedal.
• Press and hold the release button in the selector lever handle, select the desired selector lever position such as D/S and release the button.
• Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted (you will feel a slight movement),
• Remove your foot from the brake pedal and accelerate.

Stopping temporarily

• Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking pedal, for example at traffic lights.
• Do not press the accelerator pedal when doing this.
• To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you start driving, set the parking brake when stopping on steep inclines.

The parking brake will release automatically and the vehicle will start moving once you press the accelerator pedal.

Stopping/parking

If the selector lever is not in the P position when you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll.

The message Transmission: Car may roll! Shift to park! appears.

• Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
• Apply the parking brake.
• Select the P selector lever position.

Stopping on an incline

• A/ways press the brake pedal to hold the vehicle in place and prevent it from "rolling back".

  Do not try to prevent the vehicle from "rolling back" when a gear is engaged by increasing the engine speed.

Starting on an incline

• Activate the parking brake.
• With the driving gear selected, press the accelerator pedal carefully. The parking brake will release automatically if your seat belt is fastened.

Under certain circumstances, such as driving in the mountains, it may be useful to switch temporarily to the manual shift program in order to adjust the gears to the driving conditions by hand.

On slopes, activate the parking brake first and then move the selector lever to the P position.

This prevents too much stress from being placed on the locking mechanism.

WARNING

• Unintended vehicle movement can cause serious injury.
• Never leave your vehicle with the engine running while in gear. If you must leave your vehicle when the engine is running, activate the parking brake and move the selector lever to P.
• Power is still transmitted to the wheels when the engine is running at idle. To prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you must keep your foot on the brake when the engine is running and the selector lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is selected.
• Do not press the accelerator pedal when changing the selector lever position white the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running.
• Never shift into R or P while driving.
• Before driving down a steep slope, reduce your speed and shift into a lower gear with "tiptronic".
• Do not ride the brakes or press the brake pedal too often or too long when driving down a hill. Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and substantially reduces braking performance, increases braking distance or causes complete failure of the brake system.
• To prevent the vehicle from rolling back when stopping on inclines, always hold it in place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
• Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a slipping clutch. The clutch opens automatically when it becomes too hot from the overload. An indicator lamp illuminates and a driver message appears when the clutch is overloaded.
• If the engine must remain running, never have any driving position engaged when checking under the hood. Make sure the selector lever has securely engaged and is locked in P with the parking brake set. Otherwise, any increase in engine speed may set the vehicle in motion, even with the parking brake applied.

Note

• When stopping on an incline, do not try to hold the vehicle in place by pressing the accelerator pedal while a driving gear is selected. This can cause the transmission to overheat and can damage it. Activate the parking brake or press the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
• Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine is stopped and the selector lever is in N will damage the transmission because it is not lubricated under those circumstances.

Tips

For safety reasons, the parking brake is released automatically only when the driver's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.

Hill descent control

The hill descent control system assists the driver when driving down declines.

Hill descent control is activated when the selector lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.

The transmission automatically selects a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent control tries to maintain the speed achieved at the time of braking, within physical and technical Limitations. It may still be necessary to adjust the speed with the brakes.

Hill descent control switches off once the decline Levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.

When the speed is set in the cruise control system hill descent control is also activated.

WARNING

Hill descent control cannot overcome physical limitations, so it may not be able to maintain a constant speed under all conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes.

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