2008 AUDI A4 instrument cluster

Lights and vision 62•
When reaching the tail end of a traffic jam
•
If your vehicle breaks down or there is an emergency
•
If your vehicle is being towed away, or if you are towing another
vehicle.
Turn signal and main beam lever
The turn signal and main beam lever also operates the
parking lights and the headlight flasher.The turn signal and main beam headlight lever has the
following functions:
Turn signals
 
– Move the lever all the way up to indicate right, or all the
way down to indicate left ⇒fig. 61.
– Move the lever briefly up or down just as far as the point
of resistance and then release it: the turn signals will
flash three times.
– Move the lever up or down just as far as the point of
resistance and hold it there: the turn signals flash for as
long as you hold the lever.Main beam headlights

– Press the lever forward to switch on the main beams.
– Pull the lever back towards you to switch the main beam
headlights off again.
Headlight flasher

– Pull the lever towards the steering wheel to operate the
flasher.
Parking lights

– Switch off the ignition.
– Move the lever up or down to turn on the right or left-
hand parking lights respectively.Notes on these functions•
The turn signals only work when the ignition is switched on. The
corresponding indicator lamp
 or
 flashes in the instrument
cluster.
•
The turn signals are cancelled automatically when the steering
wheel is returned to the straight-ahead position.
•
The main beam headlights can only be switched on if the dipped
beam headlights are already on. The main beam headlight indicator
lamp  then comes on in the instrument cluster.
•
The headlight flasher comes on for as long as you pull the lever –
even if no other lights are switched on. The main beam headlight
indicator lamp
 then comes on in the instrument cluster.
•
When the parking lights are switched on, the headlight and the
rear light on one side of the car light up with reduced intensity. The
parking lights will only work with the ignition off. A warning buzzer
will sound for as long as the driver's door is open.
Fig. 61 Turn signal and
main beam headlight
lever
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Heating and cooling111
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Note
•
It is advisable to open the air outlets when using the auxiliary
heating/ventilation.
•
The auxiliary heating/ventilation will not switch on if the fuel in
the tank has reached the reserve zone.
•
The auxiliary heating/ventilation will not switch on if the battery
charge level is low.
•
The symbols
 (auxiliary ventilation) or
 (auxiliary heating)
flash in the instrument cluster next to the clock display when the
auxiliary heating/ventilation is switched on. Both symbols light
continuously when the timer is activated.
•
At low outside temperatures some visible water vapour may
form in the engine compartment. This is a normal phenomenon,
and no reason for concern.
Applies to vehicles: with auxiliary heating - under development at the time of printingSwitching on/off immediately
You can switch the auxiliary heating/ventilation on and
off immediately via the sound system or MMI*.– Select: Function selector button > control button
AC > Aux. heating or Aux. ventilation.
When the auxiliary heating/ventilation is running, you can press the
button on the air conditioner console to switch off the blower
only. Pressing the button a second time will switch on the
blower again.
Note
The symbols
 (auxiliary ventilation) or
 (auxiliary heating) flash in
the instrument cluster next to the clock display when the auxiliary
heating/ventilation is switched on.
Applies to vehicles: with auxiliary heating - under development at the time of printingSetting and activating the timers
You can make the desired settings for the auxiliary
heating/ventilation on the sound system or MMI*.
Fig. 121 Display:
Setup AC
CAR
OFF
OFF
Fig. 122 Display: Timer
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Driving 116DrivingSteeringApplies to vehicles: with manually adjustable steering columnAdjusting the steering wheel position
The height and reach of the steering wheel can be
adjusted as required to suit the driver.– Pull the lever ⇒fig. 129 -arrow- ⇒ up.
– Move the steering wheel to the desired position.
– Then push the lever towards the steering column until
the catch engages.
WARNING
•
Never adjust the position of the steering wheel when the
vehicle is moving - this could cause an accident.
•
For safety reasons, the lever must be pushed securely against
the steering column to prevent the steering wheel from acciden-
tally changing position while driving (accident risk).
Ignition lockStarting the engine with the key
You can use the ignition key to switch on the ignition and
start the engine.– Insert the key into the ignition lock.
–Manual gearbox: Press the clutch pedal all the way down
and move the gear lever into neutral.
–Automatic gearbox: Press the brake pedal and move the
selector lever to position P or N.
–Press in the key ⇒fig. 130 to start the engine.
– Diesel engines can take a few seconds longer than usual
to star t on cold days. Please keep your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal until the engine starts. The glow plug indi-
cator lamp

lights up in the instrument cluster while
the glow plugs are preheating.
Fig. 129 Lever beneath
steering column
Fig. 130 Ignition key
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Driving117
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data If you press in the key without pressing the clutch or brake pedal,
the ignition will be switched on or off. The steering lock is released
when the ignition is switched on. Diesel engines continue to be
automatically preheated.
The key can be removed only when the ignition is off. The key has to
be pressed in briefly to switch off the ignition. On vehicles with an
automatic gearbox, the selector lever has to be in position P.
Electrical components with a high power consumption are switched
off temporarily while you start the engine.
When starting from cold the engine may be a little noisy for the first
few seconds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic tappets.
This is quite normal and no cause for concern.
If the engine fails to start immediately, the starter will be switched
off automatically after a few seconds. Try to start the engine again.
Driver message in the instrument cluster display
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears on vehicles with an automatic gearbox if you
try to start the engine without first pressing the brake pedal.
Press clutch pedal to start engine
This message appears on vehicles with a manual gearbox if you try
to start the engine without first pressing the clutch pedal.
Engage N or P to start engine
This message will appear if you try to start the engine when the
selector lever of the automatic gearbox is not in P or N.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away. Doors do not lock if lever
is not in P. or Please move selector lever to position P. Vehicle
cannot be locked.
For safety reasons, this message will appear and a warning buzzer
will sound if the selector lever of the automatic gearbox is not in
position P after you switch off the ignition. Put the selector lever in
position P; otherwise the vehicle can roll away. If the lever is not in position P you will not be able to lock the vehicle using the exterior
locking switch on the door handle or the remote control key.
Steering lock
The steering is locked when the key is not in the ignition. The
steering lock acts as a theft deterrent.
WARNING
•
Always take the key with you when you leave the vehicle.
Otherwise the engine can be started or power-operated equip-
ment such as the electric windows can be used. This could result
in serious injury.
•
Never leave children or disabled people alone in the car. The
doors could be locked with the remote control key and the occu-
pants could become trapped in the vehicle. The vehicle occupants
could be exposed to extremely high or low temperatures,
depending on the time of year.
•
Never remove the key from the ignition while the vehicle is
moving. The steering lock could engage suddenly, and you would
not be able to steer the car.Caution
•
If a malfunction occurs in the electronic ignition lock, a flashing
symbol and the message Ignition lock defective will appear in the
instrument cluster display.
•
Avoid high engine speeds, full throttle and extreme load condi-
tions until the engine has reached its normal operating tempera-
ture, otherwise this can damage the engine.For the sake of the environment
Do not warm up the engine by running it with the car stationary. You
should drive off immediately whenever possible. This will help avoid
unnecessary exhaust emissions.
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Driving119
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
–Automatic gearbox: Press the brake pedal and move the
selector lever to position P or N ⇒.
–Press the Start/Stop button ⇒page 118, fig. 131 to start
the engine.
– Diesel engines can take a few seconds longer than usual
to star t on cold days. Please keep your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal until the engine starts. The glow plug indi-
cator lamp

lights up in the instrument cluster while
the glow plugs are preheating.
If you press the Start/Stop button without pressing the clutch or
brake pedal, the ignition will be switched on (and will be switched
off if you press the button again). Diesel engines are preheated
when the ignition is switched on.
If the engine fails to start straight-away, switch off the starter after
about 10 seconds and try again after about half a minute.
When starting from cold the engine may be a little noisy for the first
few seconds until oil pressure has built up in the hydraulic tappets.
This is quite normal and no cause for concern.
Driver message in the instrument cluster display
No key identified
This message appears when you press the Start/Stop button if there
is no remote control key inside the vehicle or if the system cannot
detect or identify the key. This can happen, for example, if the radio
signal from the key is obstructed by a metal briefcase or similar.
Electronic equipment, such as mobile phones, can also interfere
with the radio signal from the key.
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears on automatic vehicles if you press the
Start/Stop button to start the engine without first pressing the
brake pedal. The engine will only start if you press the brake pedal.Press clutch pedal to start engine
This message appears on manual vehicles if you press the
Start/Stop button to start the engine without first pressing the
clutch pedal. The engine will only star t if you press the clutch pedal.
Engage N or P to start engine
This message will appear if you try to start the engine when the
selector lever of the automatic gearbox is not in P or N. The engine
can only be started if the selector lever is in one of these positions.
Key not in vehicle
This message will appear together with the symbol
 if the remote
control key is removed from the vehicle while the engine is running.
This is to remind you not to continue driving without the key (for
example if you change drivers).
If the remote control key is not in the vehicle you will not be able to
switch on the ignition or restart the engine after it has been
switched off. Without the key, you will also not be able to lock the
vehicle from the outside.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away. Doors do not lock if lever
is not in P. or Please move selector lever to position P. Vehicle
cannot be locked.
For safety reasons, this message will appear and a warning buzzer
will sound if the selector lever of the automatic gearbox is not in
position P when you switch off the ignition with the Start/Stop
button. Put the selector lever in position P; otherwise the vehicle
can roll away. If the lever is not in position P you will not be able to
lock the vehicle using the exterior locking switch on the door handle
or the remote control key.
Advanced key defective! Use ignition lock
This message appears if the vehicle has to be started with the igni-
tion key instead of the Start/Stop button.
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Driving121
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data start running again after some time if the coolant temperature rises
due to a build-up of heat, or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is heated up further by direct sunlight.
Electro-mechanical parking brakeOperation
The electro-mechanical parking brake replaces the hand-
brake.– Pull switch ⇒fig. 132 to apply the parking brake. The
indicator lamp in the switch will light up.
– Depress the brake or accelerator pedal and press the
switch at the same time to release the parking brake. The
indicator lamp in the switch will go out.Your vehicle is equipped with an electro-mechanical parking brake.
The parking brake replaces the conventional handbrake, and is
mainly intended to prevent the vehicle from rolling away acciden-
tally.
However, the electro-mechanical parking brake also offers a number
of convenience and safety features in addition to the functions of a
normal handbrake.When driving away
•
The parking brake auto release function releases the parking
brake automatically when you wish to start moving ⇒page 122,
“Driving away from a standstill”.
•
When driving away on a gradient, the parking brake auto release
function prevents the vehicle from rolling back unintentionally. The
braking force of the parking brake is only released when there is
enough power at the wheels to make the vehicle move in the desired
direction.
Emergency braking function
An emergency braking function enables you to stop the vehicle even
if the conventional foot brake should fail to work ⇒page 123,
“Emergency braking function”.
Warning and indicator lamps
•
The warning lamps
 in the instrument cluster and in the switch
light up when the parking brake is applied with the ignition
switched on.
•
The warning lamps
 in the instrument cluster and switch light
up for approximately 20 seconds when the parking brake is applied
with the ignition switched off.
WARNING
Never press the accelerator pedal or release the clutch inadvert-
ently if a gear is engaged or if the selector lever is not in position
P or N (on automatic vehicles) while the vehicle is stationary with
the engine running. The vehicle could otherwise start moving
immediately and possibly cause an accident.
Caution
If the symbol
 flashes in the centre display, or if the warning lamp
 flashes in the instrument cluster, there is a fault in the brake
system. You can press the button to obtain a message
explaining the fault. If the message Parking brake ! appears, there is
Fig. 132 Centre
console: Parking brake
AA
SET
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Driving123
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data braking force of the parking brake is only released when there is
enough power at the wheels to make the vehicle move in the desired
direction.
Note
For safety reasons the parking brake will only release automatically
if the driver's seat belt is engaged in its buckle.Driving away when towing a trailer
Please note the following points to prevent the vehicle
from rolling back unintentionally on a gradient.– Pull and hold the parking brake switch and press the
accelerator. The parking brake will remain engaged and
prevent any tendency to roll back down the slope.
– You can release the parking brake switch as soon as the
engine is delivering enough power to the wheels.Depending on the weight of the vehicle and trailer and the steep-
ness of the slope, there may be a tendency to roll back downhill
when driving away from a standstill. You can prevent this by pulling
out the parking brake switch as you press the accelerator (in the
same way as with a conventional handbrake).Emergency braking function
This feature enables you to stop the vehicle if the main
brake system should fail or if the pedal is obstructed.– Pull out and hold the parking brake switch to stop the
vehicle with the parking brake in an emergency.
– The brakes will be released immediately if you release the
switch or press down the accelerator.
If you pull out and hold the parking brake switch at a road speed
above about 8 km/h, this will initiate an emergency brake applica-
tion. The brakes are then applied hydraulically at all four wheels.
The effect is the same as an emergency stop (full brake application)
⇒
To prevent the emergency braking function from being used acci-
dentally, a warning buzzer sounds when the switch is operated. The
brakes are released immediately when you release the switch or
press down the accelerator.
WARNING
You should only use the emergency braking function in a real
emergency, for example if the brake system should fail or if the
brake pedal is obstructed. If you use the emergency braking func-
tion by activating the parking brake switch, the effect is similar to
a full brake application (emergency stop). Please remember that
the ESP (with its combined ABS, EDL and traction control func-
tions) is still subject to certain physical limits. In a corner or in bad
road or weather conditions an emergency stop can cause the
vehicle to skid or lose steering control.Driver messages in the instrument cluster displayCaution: Vehicle parked too steep
This message can appear when you apply the parking brake if the
car is parked on a gradient steeper than about 30%.
In this case the parking brake may not be strong enough to prevent
the vehicle from rolling back accidentally.
Please release parking brake
However, please remember that, for safety reasons, the parking
brake will only release automatically if the driver's seat belt is
buckled.
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Driving 124Press brake pedal to release parking brake
This message may appear when you press the switch to release the
parking brake. The parking brake can only be released, if you
depress the brake pedal and simultaneously press the switch or if
you use the parking brake auto release function ⇒page 122. Parking brake malfunction !
This message will appear together with the yellow symbol
 if a
malfunction should occur in the parking brake.
Fault in parking brake auto release
This driver message will appear in the event of a malfunction of the
parking brake auto release. The automatic release of the parking
brake when moving off from a standstill is not functioning correctly.
The parking brake must be released manually by pressing the
switch. Have the fault rectified by a qualified workshop.
Applies to vehicles: with Audi hold assistAudi hold assist
Audi hold assist helps the driver when the vehicle is
stationary and automatically prevents the vehicle from
rolling away when driving off.
When the Audi hold assist function is on, the vehicle is auto-
matically prevented from rolling away and you no longer
have to keep your foot on the brake pedal.
Conditions for switching on Audi hold assist
– The driver's door must be closed.
– The driver's seat belt must be buckled.
– The engine must be running.
Switching on Audi hold assist
– Press button ⇒fig. 133 in the centre console to switch
on the Audi hold assist function. The indicator lamp in
the switch will light up.
Switching off Audi hold assist
– Press button ⇒fig. 133 to switch off the Audi hold
assist function. The indicator lamp in the switch will go
out.
– If you press button while the vehicle is being held by
the Audi hold assist function, the electro-mechanical
parking brake

will automatically take over. The
parking brake will not take over if the foot brake is
applied simultaneously.
– Audi hold assist is switched off automatically if you open
the driver's door, unbuckle the seat belt or switch off the
engine. If this happens when the green symbol

is
displayed in the instrument cluster, the parking brake
will be applied automatically to ensure that the vehicle is
parked safely.
Audi hold assist helps the driver to keep the vehicle stationary while
the engine is running, for instance on steep gradients, at traffic
Fig. 133 Detail of the
centre console: Button
for Audi hold assist
ABAB
AB
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