2008 AUDI A4 AVANT Owners Manual

On the road -
-----------------'
Power steering
Power steering makes it easier to steer the vehicle when
the engine is running.
If the engine is not running the power steering does not work and
you will find it more difficult to turn the steering wheel.
Whenever the steering wheel is turned all the way to the left or right
a lo t of stress is placed on the power steering pu mp. When this
happens you will hear a noise coming from the power steering
pump .
0 Note
Never hold the steering wheel turned all the way to the left or right
longer than 15 seconds when the en gine is running -damage to
the power steering system is likely! •
Controls and equip­
ment
Ignition lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
T he ignition key starts or stops the engine .
0
Ignition off G)
Fig . 14 3 Ignition lock
pos it io ns
In position => fig. 143 G) both the ignition and engine are off, and
the steering is locked.
To
lo ck the stee ring after you have removed the ignition key, turn
the steering wheel in either direction un til you hear it lock in to
place. You shou ld always lock the steering whenever you leave your
vehicle. This makes a vehicle theft even more
difficult =>& .
Ign iti on on @
If it is d iff icult to turn the key after you have inserte d it into the igni ­
tion lock, turn the steering whee l back and forth . This will take the
load off the s teering lock mechanism and you will be able to turn the
key free ly and start the engine.
Starting the engine ©
In this position the engine starts. While the engine is starting, the
power supply to the headlights and other e lectrical consumers is
.,
Technical data

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temporarily interrupted to conserve battery power. After the engine
has started, release the key and it will return to position
0-
Before the starter can be operated again the key must be turned
back to position
G) . The non-repeat lock prevents you from
damaging the starter when the engine is running.
_& WARNING
• Never remove the key from the ignition lock while the vehicle is
moving. The steering wheel will lock causing loss of control.
• If you have to leave your vehicle-even for just a minute- always
remove the ignition key and take it with you. This is especially
important if you are going to leave children behind in the vehicle.
The children could start the engine or use other vehicle controls.
Unsupervised use of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows) can cause serious personal injuries.
[ i] Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnected and then reconnected,
then you must leave the key in position
0 for about 5 seconds
before you can start the engine. •
Ignition key safety lock
The ignition key can only be removed when the selector
lever is in the
"P" (Park) position.
After switching off the ignition, the ignition key can only be
removed from the ignition lock when the selector lever is in the
"P"
(Park) position. After you have removed the key, the selector lever is
locked and cannot be moved. •
Starting and stopping the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your original Audi
key.
-Set the parking brake.
-Move the selector lever to the neutral position (automatic
transmission: selector lever in P or N)
=> & .
-On vehicles with manual transmission, fully depress the
clutch pedal.
-Turn the ignition key to position 0 => page 135, fig. 143
- do not depress the gas pedal when starting the engine!
-Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts.
A cold engine may at first be loud after it has been started. This is
due to the hydraulic valves building up the oil pressure . This is
normal and no need for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop trying after 10
seconds and then try to restart the engine about 30 seconds later.
What to do if the engine does not start
• ~ page 330
• ~ page 332, "Emergency towing with commercial tow truck"
_& WARNING
Never start or let the engine run in a confined or enclosed area.
Exhaust fumes from the engine contain carbon monoxide, a color­
less and odorless gas. Carbon monoxide can be fatal if inhaled.
• Never leave the engine idling unattended. An unattended
vehicle with a running engine poses a danger of personal injury or
theft.
~

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0 Note
• Avo id high eng ine speeds, fast acceleration or heavy e ngine
loads while the engine is still cold . This could damage the engine!
• The engine cannot be started by pushing or towing the vehic le.
ffi For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary e ngine wear and to reduce exhaust emis ­
sions, do not let your vehic le stand and warm up. Be ready to drive
o ff immediate ly aft er starting your vehicle. Mai ntain mode rate
speed until the engine is completely warm. R emember, the engine
per forms bes t at opera ting temperature .•
Stopping the engine
- Tur n t he ignitio n ke y t o posit io n G) => page 135 , fig. 14 3.
& WARNING
• Nev er turn off the engine until the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.
• The brake boo ster and servotronic only work when the engine
is running . With the ignition turned off , you have to app ly more
force when steering or braking . Since you cannot steer and stop
normally, th is can lead to accidents and seriou s injurie s.
• The radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minutes even
afte r you have turned off the engine and removed the ignition key .
The radiator fan can also turn on again if the engine coolant heats
up because of intense sunlight or heat build-up in the engine
c ompartment.
Controls and equip ­
ment
0 Note
Do not stop the e ng ine immed iately after hard or extended drivin g.
Keep the engine running for appro ximate ly two minutes to prevent
e xcessive heat build -up. •
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parkin g brake is set , it prevents the vehicle from
rolling aw ay unin tentionally.
Setting the parking brake
Fig . 144 Cent er
co nso le : P ark ing bra ke
set
- Pull the p arking brak e lever all the way up.
Releasing the parking brake
Pull t he pa rkin g brake lever up sligh tly and press the
release butto n at th e s ame tim e::::> fig . 144 -ar row- .
irechnical data

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-Keep the release button pressed and lower the parking
brake~ &.
If you should drive off with the parking brake still set, a warning tone
will sound and the following will appear in the instrument cluster to
remind you to release the parking brake:
Parking brake set
The parking brake warning comes on only after you have driven for
longer than 3 seconds and faster than 5 mph (5 km/h).
The parking brake warning light Brake (USA)/
«Dl (CDN) illuminates
when the parking brake is set and you switch on the ignition.
& WARNING
Always release the parking brake completely. A partially engaged
brake will overheat the rear brakes, reduce their effectiveness and
cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an acci­
dent.
0 Note
Only after the vehicle has come to complete stop, should you firmly
set the parking brake and either move the gearshift lever into 1st.
gear (manual transmission) or move the selector lever into
"P"
(Automatic transmission).•
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling away, there are a
few things you should do.
When you park your vehicle, do the following:
-Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
-Set the parking brake firmly.
-Move the selector lever into the P position ~ &.
-Switch off the engine and remove the ignition key from
the ignition lock.
What else you should do when parking your vehicle on
an incline or decline
Turn the steering wheel so that if the vehicle should start to roll, it
will roll into the curb.
If you are parking on a
decline (the front of your vehicle facing
downhill), turn the front wheels to the right so that they point
toward the curb.
If you are parking on an incline (the front of your vehicle facing
uphill), turn the front wheels to the left so that they point
away from
the curb.
Move the selector lever into the P position.
& WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of injury when leaving your
vehicle.
• Never park the vehicle where it can come in contact with dry
grass, spilled fuel or any other flammable materials.
• Never allow anyone -especially small children -to remain in the
vehicle when it is locked. Locked doors make it more difficult for
rescuers to access the passenger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
• Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake or move the gearshift lever out of
gear. The vehicle could start to roll away and cause an accident.
• No matter what the season is, the temperature in a parked
vehicle can reach dangerous levels. •

On the ro ad 11111 ---------------------------------------------------------------~
acoustic park assist
A pplies to vehicles : with 4 -c h an nel a cou sti c par k ass is t
Rear acoustic park assist
The rear acoustic park assist warns you of obstacles or
objects behind your car.
How it wor ks
The acoustic park assist warning system (4 -channel acoustic park
assist) uses ultrasonic sensors to warn you when you are
backing
your vehicle close to an obstac le . The system 's 4 sensors are located
inside the rear bumper.
A cti va ting
The rea r acoustic park ass ist is activa ted whenever you shift into
Re verse . You will hear a warn ing tone when the system is on.
Reverse
With the car backing up in reverse gear, the collision warning sound
se ts in at the fo llowing
approximate d istances to obstacles:
st raight a ft 5ft(
1.5ml
a ngl ing aft of f ve hicle corners 2 ft (0.6 ml
As the distance shr inks, the time interval between the audible tones
grows shorter.
The sound changes to a continuous tone as soon as the remaining
d istance to an obstacle c loses to less than about 1 ft. (0.3 ml. The
steady tone cautions you that you have backed up hazardously
close and you risk co llis ion by back ing up any furt her .
Malfunction s in the system
If a warning tone is audible for about five seconds when you turn on
the ignition, there is a ma lfunction in the system . Have the prob lem
corrected by your authorized Aud i dealer.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Keep the sensors in the rear bumper clean and free from ic e so t hat
the acoustic park assist system can funct ion proper ly .
& WARNING
• Sensors have dead spaces in which object s cannot be
detected . Be especiall y alert for small ch ildren and animals , since
they are not always dete cted by the sensor s.
• The acousti c pa rk assist system is not a substitute for the
driver's own caution and alertne ss . Ultimate re sponsibility alway s
remains w ith the driver dur ing parking and s imilar maneuvers .
Alway s watch where you are driving _
0 Note
• Remem ber t hat low obstac les for wh ich a warning has already
been issued may "dive" below the system's sensing zone if the
veh ic le is be ing bac ked up cl oser. In this case, the warning sound
shutting off does
not indica te that you have cleared the obstacle .
Instead , impact is imminent.
• Objects such as trai ler hitches, barrier chains, narrow posts or
f ences covered by a th in laye r of pa int may not always be detected
by the system . T hey can sti ll damage your vehic le without a
warning.
[ i ] Tips
Keep the sensors in the rear bumper clean and free of snow and ice
so that the acoust ic park ing ass ist system can function properly .•

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Cruise control
General information
The cruise control system allows you to maintain a
constant speed.
The cruise control system allows you to maintain and constant
driving speed when driving faster than 18 mph (30 km/h) -to the
extent this is possible with the given engine power and braking
characteristics. This allow you to take your foot off the "gas" and
rest it, especially on long trips .
The indicator light CRUISE (USA)/
•l'l (CDNl in the instrument cluster
illuminates when the system is on .
& WARNING
• To help keep the vehicle under control, do not use the cruise
control system when driving on winding or slippery roads (as
caused by heavy rain or loose gravel on the road surface), or in
heavy or varying traffic.
• Only use the cruise control when traffic, road and weather
co nd itions allow you to drive at a steady speed.
[ i] Tips
The cruise control cannot maintain a constant speed when driving
downhill. The vehicle will accelerate under its own weight. Down­
shift to a lower gear or use the brakes to slow down .•
Storing a speed
You must set and then store a vehicle speed using the
cruise control.
Fig. 145 Cruise control
switches
- Accelerate until you reach the driving speed you want to
store.
- Pull
lever © towards the steering wheel G) => fig. 145 to
switch the system on.
- Press button
@.
After you release button @, the current vehicle speed is stored and
maintained .•
Changing a stored speed
You can change a stored speed.
Accelerate (faster)
-Lift lever © toward 0 => fig. 145 .
- Release the lever to store the new speed.

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D ece le rat e (slow er)
- Lower lever @ toward Q => page 140, fig. 145.
- Release the lever to store the new speed.
You can a lso increase the vehic le speed by depressing the acce ler­
ator pedal. The vehicle speed wil l increase as long as you keep the
accelerator pedal depressed . When you let up on the accelerator
pedal, t he veh icle speed w ill automatica lly return the to previously
stored vehicle speed in th e cruis e control.
I f the actua l veh icle speed exceeds the stored vehicle speed in the
cruise control for longer than five minutes and by more than 6 mph
(10 km/h), the c ruise control wil l auto matica lly erase the stored
veh ic le speed and you w ill have to rese t the cruise contro l again.
T apping the lever lightly
@
By lightly tapping the lever @toward 0 => page 140, fig. 145, you
can increase ve hicle speed by approximately 1 mph (2 km/h).
By lightly tapp ing the lever @toward
O => page 140, fig. 145, you
can decrease vehicle speed by approximately 1 mph (2 km/h). •
Switching the system off temporarily
Either of the follow ing actions will tempora rily deact ivate
the cru ise con trol:
- press ing t he brake pedal, or
- p ressing t he c lutch pedal (on manua l transmission
mo dels), or
- pu shing the
lever @ towa rds the instrume nt panel 0
(n ot engaging)=> page 140, fig. 14 5.
When you tempo rari ly deac tiva te the cru ise co ntrol fo r a brie f
period, th e previous ly s tored vehicle speed remains in the memory .
Controls and equip ­
ment T
o resume the previously stored vehicle speed, release the brake (or
clutch) pedal, or you pull lever @toward t he stee ring wheel
G) .
If no veh ic le speed was stored when you switched off the system
temporarily, you must reset a new vehicle speed : Acce lerate to the
des ired speed and press
button @ (SET) => page 140, fig. 145.
& WARNING
Do not use the cruise control if the stored veh icle speed is faster
than exi sting traffic condition s permit .•
Switching off the cruise control system
While driving
- Pu sh lever © towa rds the inst rument p anel 0 un til it
e n gages => page 140, fig . 1 45.
When the vehicle is at a standstill
- Sw itch off the ignit ion. •

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Transmission
Manual transmission
Applies to vehicles: w ith 6 -speed manua l transmission
Gearshift lever
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the way before
you can start the engine .
Your Audi with manual transmission is equipped with an
interlock-feature .
-Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
- Start the engine with the gearshift lever in Neutral and
clutch pedal depressed.
0 Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears. Do not
hold the vehicle on a hi ll with the c lutch pedal partially depressed.
This may cause premature clutch wear or damage .
[ i ] Ti ps
• Resting your hand on the gearshift lever knob while driving will
cause premature wear in the transmission.
• The back -up lights go on when you shift into Reverse with the
ignition on .•
Applies to vehicles: with 6-speed manual transmission
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
Fi g. 14 6 Gearshi ft
pa ttern: 6-speed
Drive in 6th gear for optimum fuel economy when cruising .
However, if more acceleration is required (when passing, for
example), shift down.
E n gag ing r everse gear (R )
- Move the shift lever all the way to the left past the spring
pressure point, press down, then push forward .
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehicle completely, shift
into
Neutral and rest the shift lever briefly in Neutral before shifting
into
Reverse. •