2008 AUDI A4 AVANT tow

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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. •

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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.

_________________________________________________ O
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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. •

_______________________________________________________ T_ ra_ n_s_ m
__ is_s_ io_ n __ llll
Appl ies to vehicles: wi th 6-speed automatic transm is sion
Fail-safe mode
If the tiptronic® suffers a malfunction, the fail-safe mode
maintains minimum driveability.
If there is a malfunct ion in t he system, the automatic transmiss ion
wi ll shift to the fai l- safe mode. Al l the segments in the display will
l ight up to indicate th is condi tion .
Display col ors inv ersed
If there's a ma lfunction in the system, the automatic transmission
wi ll shift to the fail -safe mode. The entire row of gear selector posi ­
t ions wi ll light up in the d isplay in inverse colors ( light background,
dark characters) to indicate this condition . If there is an electrical
f ailure, t he gear posi tion ind ica tor row wi ll turn blank .
You wi ll sti ll be able to put the se lected lever in any of the positions .
However, the transmission will remain in 4th gear when it is placed
in positions D and S.
[ i ] Tip s
• The electronic lock that protects t he reverse gear while driv ing is
inoperative when the transmission is in the fail- safe mode .
• The manua l shift program is inoperative in fail -safe mode .
• The transm ission aut omatically shif ts to and rema ins in 4t h gear
regard less of which of the forward gears is selected. This means
that it may not be possible to tow a t rai ler or to drive uphill on a
steep gradient. Reverse gear can sti ll be engaged.
• In case the engine goes out i t must b e restarted wi th the veh ic le
stationary and the selector lever in position ( Pl or (Nl.
• The 4 th gear remains engaged even whe n the veh icle comes to
a ha lt . T he transmission will respond with noticeable jolts as you
shi ft fr om "D" to "P" and back aga in. The ca r wil l acce lerate s lug­
gishly as you take off again. •
Controls and equip­
ment
multitronic ™
App lies to veh icles: with mu lt itron ic'" Cont inuous ly Va riab le Transm ission (CVTl
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a electronically controlled continu ­
ously variable transmission
(multitronic,..l. Inside the multitronic™
system, the gear ratios are not shifted in finite steps as in a conven­
t ional automatic transmiss ion, but rat her
continuously . As a result,
engine power is applied smoothly and comfortably, and better fuel
econo my is ac hieved.
The transmission se lects the appropriate gear rat io (upshifts and
downshif tsl a utomat ical ly based on set dr iv ing progra ms
=> page 153, "Dynamic shift program (DSP)" .
You can a lso ma nua lly select a shift p rogram (tiptronic®)
=> page 154.
You shou ld note, that the multitronic transmission differs from a
conventiona l Aut omatic Transmiss io n . In the mu lt it ronic transm is ­
sion the engine power is transferred via a link -p late chain, rather
than by a conventi onal torque c onver ter . The multitronic transm is ­
s ion greatly reduces vehic le "creep"" when at a standst ill and the
transmission is in D Sor R.
•

________________________________________________ D_r_iv _ i
_ n..; g::;_ S_ a_ fe---' ly'---__ lfflJI
& WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce
the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and
the steering wheel.
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates.
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag inflates
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located.
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained.
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving . Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
• Children must always ride in child safety seats
~ page 210.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
~ page 187 . •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
seat for the front passenger to the following position:
- Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible.
There must be a minimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between
the breastbone and the instrument
panel=> &.
-Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it
whenever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but not lower
than eye level and so that it is as close to the back of your
head as
possible => page 171.
-Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts
correctly=> page 181.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's
seat, see
~ page 95.
& WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
.,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving Safely -
--------------=-='------'
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area unobstructed and that
are firmly secured so that they cannot slip out of position. You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached to these fasteners.
Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into
positions that could interfere with the pedals or impair safe opera­
tion of your vehicle in other ways .
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a loss of vehicle
control and increase the risk of serious personal injury.
• Always make sure that floor mats are properly secured.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the pedals or the ability to
control the vehicle.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning.
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot­
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All
luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 165 Safe load
positioning: heavy
cargo positioned as
far
forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift
suddenly, changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose
items can also increase the risk of serious personal injury in
a sudden vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
- Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the
luggage compartment as far forward as possible
=> fig. 165.
- Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
=> page 107, "Luggage compartment".
- Make sure that the rear seat back is securely latched in
place. .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release button only
after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig . 175 Releasing the
tongue from the buckle
-Push the red release button on the buckle ~ fig. 175. The
belt tongue will spring out of the
buckle~ &,.
-Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt
tongue to its stowed position.
& WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so
will increase your risk of being injured or killed. •
Adjusting safety belt height
Use the safety belt height adjustment to change belt posi­
tion on the shoulder.
Fig . 176 Safety belt
height adjustor
The safety belt height adjustors for the front seats can be
used to adjust the height of the shoulder portion of the seat
belt so that it is positioned properly.
-The height adjustor can only be pushed down if the catch
is squeezed at the same
time => fig. 176 G).
-Press the handle slowly up or down 0 so that the
shoulder portion of the safety belt is positioned nearly
midway over the
shoulder~ &, in "Safety belt position"
on page
182.
-Pull the belt to make sure that the upper attachment is
properly engaged.
.,

Airbag system 111111
-------------------------------------------- -=-:~--___.
• A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
t o m easure the tens io n on t he sa fety be lt. T he tension on the safe ty
belt and the weight registered by the weight -sensing mat help the
contr ol unit "decide" whe the r the front ai rbag for the fron t
passenger seat should be turned off or
not=> page 189, "Child
r est ra ints on the front seat - some important th ings to know".
• A sensor in the safety belt latch for the driver and for the front
seat passenge r that senses whether t hat safety bel t is la tched or no t
and transmits this information to the e lectronic control unit.
& WARNING
Damage to the front pas senger seat can pre vent the front airbag
from working properly.
• Improper repair or disassembly of the front passenger and
driver seat will prevent the Advanced Airbag System from func ­
tioning properly .
• Repairs to the front passenger seat must be performed by qual ­
ified and properly trained workshop personnel .
• Never remove the front pa ssenger or driver seat from the
vehi cle .
• Ne ver remo ve the upholstery from the front passenger seat .
• Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect
wires from it .
• Never carry sharp objects in your pockets or place them on the
seat . If the weight -sen sing mat in the passenger seat i s pun ctured
it cannot work properly.
• Never carry things on your lap or carry objects on the
passenger seat . Such items can increase the weight registered by
the weight -sensing mat and send the wrong informat ion to the
airbag control unit .
• Never store items under the front passenger seat . Parts of the
Advanced Airbag System under the passenger seat could be
d amaged , preventing them and the airbag system from working
properly.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• Never place seat covers or replacement upholstery that have
not been specifically appro ved by Audi on the front seat s.
• Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from
recognizing child restraint s or occupants on the front passenger
seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from
deploying properly.
• Never use cushions, pillows , blankets or similar items on the
front passenger seat. The additional padd ing will prevent the
weight-sensing mat in the seat from accurately registering the
child restraint or person on the seat and prevent the Ad vanced
Airbag System from functioning properly .
• If you mu st use a child re straint on the front pas senger seat
and the child restraint manufacturer's instru ctions require the use
of a towel , foam cu shion or something el se to properly position
the child restraint , make certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the child restraint i s
installed on the front passenger seat.
• If the PASSENG ER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , immed iately install child re straint in a re ar seat ing position
and have the airbag sy stem inspected by your Audi dealer . •
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the side airbags supplement
the prote ction off ered by the fro nt three -p oi nt safe ty belts with
pretensioners and load limiters and the adjustable head restra ints
to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the important informat ion about
safety and heed the WARNI NGS in this chapter.
Dep loyment of the Adva nced Ai rbag Sys tem a nd th e activation of
the safety belt pretensioners depends on the dece leration
measu red by the crash senso rs and registered by the electro nic _.,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data