2013 AUDI A4 ESP

194 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
... Do not rev the eng ine up to h igh speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutral) or in gear.
After the break- in period
... Do not exceed max imum eng ine speed un­
der any circumstances .
... Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale¢
page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's inter na l friction is higher tha n later
when alt the moving parts have been broken
i n. How welt this break- in process is done de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1, 500 kilome ters).
(D Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ica lly re duced. However, these rpm
lim its are programmed for a n engine welt
r u n- in, not a new eng ine.
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
very carefully for the first 350 miles (500 kilo­ meters) after fitting.
_& WARNING
N ew tires tend to be slip pery a nd mus t al­
so be "broken -in" . Be s ure to remembe r
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les (500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you a re d rivi ng on poo r roads, or over
cu rbs, ste ep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low- ly ing parts s uch as spoile rs and ex ha ust
s ystem parts do not bot tom o ut and get dam ­
aged.
T his is espec ially true for veh icles with low­
s lu ng chassis (s por ts chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note th e following to avoid vehicle damage
whe n driving through water, for examp le on
flooded roads:
- The wa ter must not be any hig he r th an the
bottom of the vehicle body .
- Do not dr ive faste r than walk ing speed.

196 Driving and en vironm ent
@ For the sa ke of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
t he economy of your vehicle, as well as ex ­
haust and noise levels.
Fue l economy, environmental impact , and
wear on you r engine, bra kes and t ires la rgely
depend on th ree factors:
= yo ur personal dr iv ing sty le
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
If yo u anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easi ly cut your
fue l consumption by 10-15 percent. This sec ­
tion will give you some t ips on how you ca n
he lp the environmen t and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not co rre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, wh ich will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load an d speed, road and weather con­
ditions, tr ip le ngth, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating .
.,. Avoid unnecessa ry accelerating and braking. Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce le rating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for example when you see
that the next traff ic light is red .
· Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maxi-
m um speed .
Acce lerat ing gently red uces fue l cons ump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
F uel consumpt ion, exhaust emissions a nd en ­
gine noise inc rease disproportionate ly at high
speeds . If yo u drive at approximately th ree
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weathe r con­
ditions pe rm it.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is jus t idling it burns up
fuel.
.. Shut the eng ine off when you are not driv ­
ing the vehicle .
.. Do not warm up the vehicle by letti ng the
eng ine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when wa it ing for tra ins to pass at rail­
r oad crossings, or at traffic lig hts that have
long wai ts on red . Tu rn ing the eng ine off for
j ust 30-40 seconds saves more fuel tha n is
burned start ing t he e ngine aga in.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is ru nning at id le. However, wea r
and noxious emissions a re espec ia lly high
whe n the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you s hou ld
dr ive away as soon as yo u start the engine and
avo id running at high rpms whi le the engine is
still warming up.
ll-

198 Driving and en vironm ent
s uit able for the vehicl e, or w hic h ex ceed s
y ou r dr iving sk ill s. N eve r tak e an y unnec es­
s a ry risks!
After driv ing offro ad
- After driving offroad, remove branches and
other debris from the rad iator grille, under ­
body, and whee ls. Look especia lly for objects
(stones) that have been caught in the tire
tread .
- Clean t he body and the vehicle underbody
and inspect the vehicle for possible damag­
es.
- Clean off the dirty windows, headlights, tail
lights and the license plate.
- Perform a brake test (especially after driving
through water) .
A WARNING
- Be especially aware and attentive when
dr iv ing under d iff icult conditions. Dam­
ages to the vehicle and injuries may oc­
cur when driving at an excess ively high
speed or with incorrect driv ing maneu­
vers.
- Always adjust your speed and handling
to the roads, terra in, traffic and weather
condit ions. Drive especially slow if off­
road with low v is ibility.
- Please note that the wheels can spin and
the vehicle can brea k away when the ESC
Offroad Mode is switched off, espec ially
whentheroadisslipper~
- Driv ing stab ility is red uced in the ESC
Offroad mode.
@) For the sake of the environment
Avo id harming the environment and take
nature into conside rat ion.
@ Tips
Only drive where it is allowed and always
stay on the provided roads and paths.
Driver messages
App lies to veh icles : all road
There is only one right way to drive in difficult
conditions: slowly and with caution!
When driving offroad, observe the follow ing :
.. Never drive the vehicle in terrain which is
not suitab le for the vehicle, or which ex­
ceeds your driving ski lls. Never take any un­
necessary risks!
.. Drive slowly and caut iously!
.. Pay attention to the
ground clearanc e of
your veh icle! This may vary depending on
the load and composition of the ground and
t he environment. The d river is therefore re­
sponsib le for deciding whether a veh icle can
handle a specific situation .
.. Activate the
ESC-Offroad-Mode r::;, page 187
as needed .
Difficult terrain
Never drive in areas that are not fam iliar to
you and d rive slowly when offroad and be p re­
pared and expect the unexpected (e .g. pot ­
holes, boulders , tree stumps, etc.)
T o p reven t the veh icle from bottoming and
avo id damage to the unde rbody, yo u should
drive straight across severe bumps in the
ground with only one side of the ve hicle so
that only two of your whee ls cross the bumps.
Drive quickly th rough sandy or marshy offroad
sections and do not stop, if at all possible.
Driving through water on roads
Read the information on r::::> page 194 .

200 Trailer towing
Tire pressure
When towing a trai le r, inflate the tir es of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver 's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac ­
turers' specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before dr iving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and tra iler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safe ty cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave eno ugh slack in the chains to per ­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
cha ins, make sure they w ill not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it ­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always apply brakes early.
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avo ided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control. A "ba
lanced'' rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keep ing the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow veh icle while obse rving
tongue load requ irements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icu lt it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -pa rticularly
whe n going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downh ill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light •
in the in strument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
abo ut two minutes to prevent heat build-up .
_& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
in g vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not p roperly wea ring the restraints
provided by Audi.
-

Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when tow ing
a trailer because o f the addit ional weight and
d iffe ren t weight distribution . Safety, pe rform ­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
caref ully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
B efore you actua lly tow your trailer, pr actice
turning, stopp ing and bac king up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become comp lete ly fam iliar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is d ifficu lt a nd requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
M aintain a g reater distance betwee n your ve­
h icle and the one in front o f you . You will need
mo re room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
W hen pass ing, remember that yo u cannot ac ­
celerate as fast as yo u normally wo uld be­
cause of the added load. Ma ke s ure you have
e nough room to pass . After passing , allow
p lenty o f room fo r your tra iler before chang­
in g la nes aga in .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rap id lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler during the break-in
period of you r vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
o page 280.
Trailer towin g 201
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­ lowing:
When parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
veh icle and the tra iler wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release t he
bra kes unt il t he whee l choc ks absorb the
load .
.. Tur n the whee ls towa rds t he curb .
.,. App ly the parking brake.
.. Place an a utomat ic t ransm ission* in P, re ­
spectively a manual transmission in first or
reverse gear.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot br ake .
.. Sta rt t he engine.
.. Move the se lector lever to D/S, respectively
a man ual transmiss ion in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and s low ly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks.
@ Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the auto­
matic transmissio n* to P before applying
the pa rking brake and befor e bloc king the
whee ls, you may hav e to use mor e forc e
la ter to m ove the lever out of the P p osi­
tion.
•
•

206 Cleaning and protection
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been de livered.
Even if you regularly use a
waxing process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particular ly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint.
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
Polishing
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the polish used does not contain preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 202.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anod ized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like trim .
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmenta l reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim pieces from pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be
removed with a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Authorized
Aud i dealers carry cleaning products which
have been tested for use on your vehicle and
are not harmful to the environment . T
o avoid corrosion on the exterior trim strips,
only a pH-ba lanced solution should be used
for the windsh ield washer.
A WARNING "--
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care .
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim. Remove water
spots and traces of soap with a clean, damp
cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry .
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a solvent designed espec ially
to clean v inyl.
Occasiona lly app ly a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the material's luster
and pliability .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 202.

210 Cleaning and protec tio n
grease or dye must be patted off using ab ­
sorbent materia l. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
te r.
I n the case of general soi ling of the uphols ­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean
the seat cove rs and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray ex traction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
~ page 202.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
s ol ve nt-fr ee plastic
cleane r/protectant.
A WARNING
So lvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to dep loy.
- Never clean the instr ument pane l or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents wi ll make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information ~
page 202.
0 Note
Cleaning agents con taining solvents will
at tac k the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves .
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offer many d ifferent types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are d ifferent types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors .
The intensity of the co lo r determines the visu­
al characterist ics and appearance . If the sur­
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relat ive ly natura l condit ion. This
leather offe rs particularly good comfort and
breathes we ll. Fine veins, closed grai ns, insect
bites, skin fo lds, and s ubt le va ria tions in color
remain visible . These characteristics demon­
strate that the material is natura l.
Natura l na ppa le ather is not covered by a co l­
o r finish. It is therefore mo re sensit ive to soil­
ing and wea r, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be part icu larly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of infe rior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sens it ivity to oils, grease, soil ­
i ng, etc.), you will need to be somewhat ca re­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. For example, dark clo thing
ma ter ials can disco lor le athe r seats (especia l­
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores ,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect ..,..

and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams .
The leather sho uld be cleaned reg ularly as
needed. After having been used for a re latively
l ong time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign of true quality .
I n o rder to maintain the va lue of th is natura l
p roduct over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep yo ur leather from bleach ing out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked outside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather .
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regular inte rva ls, use a leather preser­
vat ive cream that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
c ream will nourish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping i t to brea the and stay
supple .
It also helps to b uild up a protec­
tive coating on the s urface .
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh mar ks made by ba llpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, e tc. as
soon as possib le .
- Preserve the colo r of the leather as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
cream to touch up areas of uneven co lor.
Cleaning and protec tion 21 1
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles : with natural lea ther
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention .
Normal clean ing
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More st ubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
.,. Wipe off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Cleaning spots
.. Remove fresh wat er-bas ed spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
grea se or oil-ba sed spot s
(such as bu tte r, mayonnaise, chocola te) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface
of the leather.
.. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil/
grease spot s ha ve dried on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingerna il polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically fo rmu lated for leather.
Leather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Aud i dealer) to care for the leather.
.,. App ly the product very spar ingly.
.. Wipe it off with a damp clot h.
If you have any questions about clean ing and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact you r authorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut o ur
f ull range of leather care products, such as : .,..
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