How to Drive a Tiptronic in the Audi
by Dustin Thornton
Some Audi vehicles come equipped with a special automatic transmission feature called Tiptronic that allows you to manually control the gears when driving, much like a manual gearbox. Although the system has a few limitations, Tiptronic mode gives you more control over the selected gear to improve your driving experience, giving you the ability to downshift when you need extra torque or upshift when you want a more comfortable ride. You can access and use the Tiptronic feature by selecting it with the gear selector or by using the paddle shifters (on some models).
Gear Selector
Step 1
Start the engine and depress the brake pedal.
Step 2
Press the button on the gear selector level (center console) and pull it down to the "D" setting, while continuing to hold the brake. "D" will appear on the instrument cluster display.
Step 3
Push the gear selector to the right into the Tiptronic gate, to enter manual program mode. "M" will appear on the instrument cluster display, followed by a number signaling the gear that your vehicle is currently in.
Step 4
Accelerate normally and push the gear selector forward in the Tiptronic gate to shift into a higher gear.
Step 5
Pull the gear selector back in the Tiptronic gate to shift into a lower gear.
Paddle Levers
Step 1
Start the engine and depress the brake pedal.
Step 2
Press the button on the gear selector level (center console) and pull it down to the to the "D" setting, "S" setting or slide the selector into the Tiptronic gate. "D," "S" or "M" will appear on the instrument cluster display. Note that you do not have to be in the Tiptronic gate to use the paddle shifters.
Step 3
Accelerate normally and pull the right "+" paddle shifter toward you to shift into a higher gear.
Step 4
Pull the left "-" paddle shifter toward you to shift into a lower gear.
References
Tips
- You can switch to Tiptronic mode while the vehicle is still or in motion. Push the gear selector into the Tiptronic gate to activate Tiptronic mode anytime.
- Although the Tiptronic transmission gives you the ability to manually control shifting, the transmission automatically shifts up before the vehicle reaches the maximum rev for the current gear. This protects the engine from over-revving.
Writer Bio
Dustin Thornton has been writing since 2003. He has served as a newspaper columnist for the "Troy Tropolitan" and a contributor to various websites. Thornton received a partial scholarship for an outstanding essay in 2003. He has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Troy University.
