2013 AUDI A4 battery

Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The warning ind icates that the system will be
turned off automa tically after 3 minutes. If
you wish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine .
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is be ing driven , the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens most ly when
litt le energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To br ing t he ene rgy balance back into equili­
brium, consumers which require especially
l arge amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par­
ticular requ ire a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporar ily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be ava ilable again as
soon as the energy ba lance has bee n restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly . This is normal and not
a cause for concern. By increasing engine idle
speed the add itional ene rgy required is gener­
ated and the ba ttery is charged.
Intelligent technology 193
•
•

220 Checking and filling
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
- Keep children away from the engine com ­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­ partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to
"P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine .
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
~ /1. .
A WARNING
=
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam ­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.

~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ~
fig. 188, ¢ page 221,
fig . 184.
T he brake fluid level must be be ­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake f luid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
l eft side
¢ page 221 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be­
l ow the "M IN" mark, the bra ke wa rning/ind i­
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on
¢ page 15. Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop and the cause co rrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the b rake wa rn ing/
i nd icator lig ht w ill illuminate . Co ntact an a u­
thor ized Audi dealer immediately.
@ Tips
The brake f luid rese rvoir is located unde r­
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enc ed technician .
Brake fluid ab sorbs moisture from the a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
hi gh, corrosion in the b rake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
b ra ke fluid w ill also decrease con siderab ly and
d ec rease brak ing per forman ce.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
every two year s. Always use new b ra ke fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
S tand ard "FMVSS 1 16 DOT 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoir can be difficult to
r eac h, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
have the brake fl uid changed by yo ur aut ho r­
iz ed Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correc t
Checking and fillin g 229
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know -how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
- Brake fl uid is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can res ult from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid th at mee ts SA E
spe cificat ion
J 17 03 and conforms to
Fe dera l Mo to r Ve hicl e Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur autho rized Au di
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The c orrect type of
brake f luid is also ind icated on t he
brake f luid reservoir .
- The bra ke fl uid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapor lock if
the b rake fluid is left i n the system too
long. This can se riously affect the effi­
c iency of the b rakes as well as your
safety , T his could result in an accide nt.
(!) Note
Brake fluid will damage the pai nt of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired an d th e nec essary exper tise, w e
r ecomme nd that yo u have th e brake flu id
c hanged by yo ur aut ho rize d Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal operating cond itions, the bat­
te ry in your Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance . With
high outside temperat ures or
lo ng da ily drives we recommend that you have
t h e e lectrolyte leve l che cked by an autho riz ed
A udi de aler or qu alified workshop. The elec­
tro lyte leve l should also be checked e ach time
the battery is charged
¢ page 232 . 1J1>
•
•

230 Check ing and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
W ith certa in types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons¢
& in Re­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 159.
Disconn ect ing the battery terminal s
Some vehicle functions (power window regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicles not dri ven fo r lo ng p eriod s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capabil ity over a longer period
¢ page 192.
Some of the conven ience functions may not
operate, such as the inter ior lights or the
power seat adjustment. The conven ience
functions will be ava ilable again when you
turn on the ignition and start the eng ine.
Winter operati on
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatu res drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
start ing , and the headlights, rea r window de­
fogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in c ity traffic or when traveling on ly
short distances. Let you r authorized Audi
dea ler check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in
¢ page 232. A well
charged batte ry w ill not only prevent sta rting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but wi ll
a lso last longer.
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze . This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any­
t hi ng in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ ,& .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent injury.
Th e follo wing WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery :
Al ways heed the follo wing WARNING SYM­
BOLS and safety prec aution s when working
on the battery .
® Always wear eye protection .
,0,. Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al­
~ way s wear glov es and ey e prot ectio n.
~ No
\!SI -sparks
-flames
-smoking.
A Wh en a battery is charged , it produ ce s
~ hydro gen gas which is e xplosi ve and
c o uld cau se pe rson al injur y.
~ Always keep the battery well out of
'if!:11 reach of children .
_& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
-

-Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get
medical attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables .
= When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury .
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­ ble .
- Before performing any work on the elec­
trical system, switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip ­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected . If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
Checking and filling 231
-When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable . Never inter ­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery . It could explode! If a battery has
frozen , then it must be replaced . A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32°F
(QOC),
-Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery.
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems. Wash hands after han­ dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced.
•
•

232 Checking and filling
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fi g. 1 89 Engine co mpart ment: C onn ecto rs fo r charger
and jumper cab les
Always read and heed all WARNINGS be low
c:> A and c:> A in Working on the battery on
page 230 .
.,. Turn off the ignit ion and a ll electrical con­
sumers.
.,. Make sure the area is well venti lated when
you cha rge the battery .
.,. Open the engine hood
r:::.> page 219 .
.,. Open the cover on the pos it ive pole
<::.> fig . 189 .
.,. Co nne ct the charger c onnec tors a ccord ing
to the instructions to the
jump start bolts.
(Bo lts under the cover = "positive" , Bolts
with hex head= "negative") .
.. Only now pl ug the mains lead for the charg­
ing equipment into the wall outlet a nd turn
i ton
c:> &_ .
.,. Mak e sure the charging rate is not over
30 amp s/14 .8 Volt .
.,. When the ba tte ry is f ully charged: Turn the
c h arging e quipment o ff and
remove t h e
m ain s le ad from the w all outle t.
.,. Now remove the clam ps for the charging
equipment.
.,. Close the cover on the pos it ive po le .
.. Close the hood
c:> page 219 .
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures of on ly 32 ° F (0 °C). A llow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely before attempt ing to
charge it
c:> .& . However, we recommend not
usi ng a thawed battery again because the bat- tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma
­
t ion an d can leak battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate
of 30 amps/14.8 Volt)
W hen charging at low vo ltages (e.g. wi th a
trickle charger ), the battery cables do not
have to be disconnected f irst . The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery.
It i s not necessa ry to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment.
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
abov e 14 .8 Volts)
F or technica l reasons do not use a battery
c h arger that uses voltage greater than 14.8
Volts to c harge yo ur vehicle's battery.
A WARNING
-----=--
Charging a battery can be dangero us .
- Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery cha rger manu­
factur er when charg ing your battery .
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
p lode because of gas trapped in the ice .
Allow a frozen batte ry to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries w hich were fro­
ze n. The battery hous ing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Cha rge the battery in a well ventilated
a rea . Keep away from open flame or elec­
tr ica l spar k. Do not smoke. Hy drog en gas
genera ted by t he battery is e xplos ive .
- To reduc e the danger of explosion,
neve r
connec t or d isconnect c harger cab les
while the charge r is ope rat ing .
- Fast c ha rging a ba tte ry is dange rous and
should o nly be attempte d by a compe­
t en t tech nician wi th the p rope r equip­
m en t.
- Batt ery acid tha t m ay sp ill dur ing c ha rg­
i n g should be w ashe d off with a s olu tion
o f w arm water a nd baking so da to neu-
tralize the a cid. ....
L..__ _____________ _J ...

(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine . This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc ., as well
as the battery charger .
Battery replacement
The new battery mu st have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery .
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for d istributing the electr i­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
c::>
page 192. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
charged bette r then vehicles w ithout t his sys­
tem. To make sure the additional electr ica l en­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations are listed on the bat tery hous ing. Your
author ized Audi dealer must code the battery
in the energy management system to enable
you to use the energy management functions
correctly after replac ing the battery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca­
pac ity, voltage (12-volts), amperage, con­
struction and plug sea ling.
When insta lling the battery, make sure the ig ­
nition and all electr ical consumers are turned
off.
(D Note
Make sure the venti lation hose on the s ide
of the battery is connected , othe rwise
fumes or battery ac id can leak out .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposal
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Aud i dealer change the battery for
Checkin g and fillin g 233
you. Batteries contain sul fur ic acid and
l ead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in comp liance with a ll environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batter ies
i mproperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment .
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
Fig. 190 En gin e compart men t: Cove r on the w ind­
s hi eld an d headligh t* was her fl uid conta iner
The washer fluid container is marked w ith the
symbol
Q on its cap c::>fig. 190, c::>page 221,
fig. 184 .
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::> .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 219.
.,. Lift the f iller cap tongue to add washer flu­
id. You can fi ll the container to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the fi ller neck after
filling the container .
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the table
in c::>
page 2 77 .
Clean water should be used when filling up.
If
possib le, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner
solution (with frost protection in the winter) .
(D Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shield washer reservoir .
•
•

236 Tires and wheels
Groove
means the sp ace between two ad jacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry fo r a g iven inflat ion pressu re. You
may not find this in fo rmat io n on all t ires be­
c a use i t is no t re quir ed by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means t he sum of:
(a) Curb weig ht
(b) Accessory weight
( c ) Vehicle c apa city we ight, and
(d) Prod uction opt ions we ight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means t he maximum co ld inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maxim um infla tion p ressu re ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilog rams) times the
n umber of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of yo ur vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means dist ribution o f occ upants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means t he overa ll diamete r of a n inflated new
tire.
Overall w idth
means the linea r distance between the exter i­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ ­
ing e levations due to labeli ng, decorations, or
p rotectiv e bands o r ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
me ans the com bine d we igh t of tho se ins tall ed
regular prod uction opt ions we ighing over 5
lb s. (2 .3 kg) in excess of those stan da rd item s
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory we ight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers , roof rack ,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in wh ich the ply cords
t h at exte nd t o the beads are laid at substa n­
t ia lly 90 deg rees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see<=> page 235, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire des ign to operat e at h igher loads
and a t higher in flation pressures than t he cor­
re spondi ng s tand ard tire. Reinfor ce d tires
may be iden tifie d as "X L" "xl" "E X TRA LOAD"
' ' '
or "RF " on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal s upport for a ti re or a tire and
tube assembly upon whi ch t he tire bea ds are
sea ted.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wh eel s ize, you wi ll have to
purchase new ti res to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim fla nges .
Sidewall
means tha t p ort ion of a tire betwee n the
t rea d and be ad.