2013 AUDI A4 SEDAN power steering

184 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorde r (EDR), ins talled by some manu­
facture rs fo r the express p urpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or cras h
event . EDR's are sometimes ca lled "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restr ict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A ltho ugh yo ur vehicle is not equ ipped wit h an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine f unction, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during norma l vehicle op­
erat ion for diagnostic and repa ir purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded ove r a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a sys tem faul t or o ther
cond ition is sensed by a cont ro l u nit. Some of
the data then stored may re late to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condit ion. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded w ith special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of ve hicle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situat
ions, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
o ut of control and he lps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
whee ls, and/or reducing eng ine power and
providing steer ing ass istance to he lp hold the
vehicle o n the dr iver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G) in the inst rument cluster
blinks when ESC is ta king action to help yo u
control the veh icle.
ESC has limitations.
It is importa nt to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It wi ll not always be able to help out
under a ll cond it ions you may come up aga inst.
F or example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
s u dden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is sudden ly covered w ith water,
s lush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it wou ld on the dry surface . If the ve hicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been in terrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic; and weather condit ions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a ve hicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
drive r inattent io n. Instead, ESC imp roves the
poss ibil ity of keeping the vehi cle under con ­
trol and on the road during ex treme maneu­
vers by using the d river's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
ca uses you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.

ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys ­
tem, anti -slip regulation (ASR) , e lectronic dif­
ferential lock (EDL), dynamic steering* and electronic i nteraxle differential lock* /selective
wheel torque control* . ESC is switched on all
the t ime. I n certain s ituations when you need
less traction, you can switch
off ASR by press­
i ng the button~~
page 186, fig. 159 or
~ page 186, fig. 160. Be sure to sw itch ASR
on again when you no longer need less trac­
tion.
Anti-lock b ra king s ystem (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even d uring hard brak ing . Apply ste ady p res­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­
a l. A pulsing in the brake peda l indicates t hat
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease bra king
d istance. It increases braking power when the
d river presses the brake pedal quick ly in eme r­
gency situations . You must press and hold the
brake peda l until the situation is over. In
veh icles w ith adaptive cru ise contro l*, the
brake assist system is more sensit ive if the
d istance detected to the veh icle ahead is too
small.
Anti- slip regulati on (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Elect ronic diffe renti al lo ck (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equipped with
all-wheel drive*. This function is available up
to about 60 mph (100 km/h) .
In extreme cases, EDL automatica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL w ill switch on again au-
Intellig ent technolog y 185
tomat ica lly when conditions have returned to
norma l.
Dynamic steering*
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC helps
stab il ize the s teer ing in crit ica l sit uat io ns.
Electronic interaxle differential lock* /
selective wheel torque control*
T he electronic i nteraxle differential lock (front
whee l dr ive) or the se lective whee l to rque
control (all-whee l dr ive) opera tes when dr iv­
ing thro ugh curves. The front wheel on the in­
side of the c urve or both whee ls on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed .
This min imizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more precise driving through
cu rves . The applicable system may not acti­
vate when dr iv ing in wet or snowy conditions.
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS , ASR, EDL dynam ic steering*
a nd the elect ronic interaxle differential
loc k* /se lective wheel torque control*
function cannot overcome the laws of
physics. This is especially important on
slippery or wet roads . If the systems be­
gin acting to stabilize your vehicle, you
should immediately change yo ur speed
to match the road and traff ic conditions.
Do not let the increased safety provided
by these systems tempt you to take risks .
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle contro l, col lision and ser ious per­
sonal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffi c
and wea ther conditions. The risk of los­
ing con tro l of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys­
tem, ASR, EDL dynam ic steering* and the
electronic interaxle differentia l lock*/se­
lective whee l torque control* function
cannot prevent collisions.
•
•

188 Intelligent technology
200 kilometers) of normal city driving.
You can compensate for this by pressing
the brake pedal more firmly. This also applies later when new pads are instal­
led .
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lowe r driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near- est authorized Audi dealer or
qualified
workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving . See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance.
E!"4 Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driving straight .
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected .
ls!'fl Dynamic steering: initializing
If this driver message appears and the indica­
tor light is flashing on the instrument panel,
dynamic steering* is being reinitialized. Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the ..,..

steering wheel wi ll be easy to move . Re­
initialization might be necessary if the steer ­
ing wheel was moved hard to the left and
right while the vehicle was not moving. The
d isplay goes out as soon as in itializat ion is
comp lete .
A WARNING
Have the dynamic steering* system mal­
function repaired as soon as poss ible by an
authori zed A udi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
@ Tips
- If the . or 1;r,ij indicator light only stays
on for a short t ime, you may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering * stability systems
are not available in t he event of a system
malfunction.
- Fo r additional informat ion on dynamic
stee ring*, re fer to
c::> page 111.
Driving with your
quattro ®
Applies to vehicles: with all-wheel drive
With oil-wheel drive, oil four wheels ore driv­
en.
General information
W ith all -whee l dr ive, power is dis tributed to
a ll fo ur wheels. This happens automatica lly
depending on yo ur driving sty le and the road
conditions at the time. See also
c::> page 184 .
A center different ial d is tributes the dr iv ing
power var iably to the front and rear axle. It
wo rks together with se lective whee l to rque
contro l, which activates when driving throug h
curves
c::> page 185. With the sport d ifferen­
tial*, power distribution to the rear w heels is
variable and can be adjusted with Audi drive se lect
c::> page 111 .
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
hi gh engine power. Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has exce llent dr iving charac ­
ter ist ics both under normal d riving conditions
Int ellig ent technolog y 189
and on snow and ice . Always read and follow
safety precautions
c::> & .
Winter tires
When dr iving in t he winter, yo ur vehicle wi th
a ll -wheel drive h as an adv ant age, even w it h
regular tires. In wi nter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea ­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing : these tires must be mounted on
all fou r
wheels .
See also c::> page 245, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains a re mandatory on certain
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive
c::> page 246 , Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles wi th a ll-wheel drive must alw ays
have tires of the same s ize. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths . For detai ls see
page
c::> page 241, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Off-Road driving?
Your A udi does no t have enough g ro und cle ar­
ance to be used as an off -road vehi cle. It is
therefore best to avoi d rough tracks and un­
even te rrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
c::> page 192.
A WARNING
A lways ad just yo ur dr iv ing to road and traf­
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
-Al tho ugh t he all-wheel driv e is ve ry ef­
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire t raction. You
should t herefore not d rive a t excessive
speeds on i cy or slippery ro ad s urfa ces.
- On wet road surfa ces, be careful not to
d rive too fast bec ause the fron t whee ls
co uld begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplani ng) . If th is should occur, yo u •
•

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have bee n dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items wh ich may be rep laced)
of automati c transmission, power steering,
power br akes, power wi ndows, power sea ts,
radio, and heater, to the ex tent that these
items are avai lab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to the w idt h of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved s teer ing re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means the pa rt of the t ire that is made of
s teel wires, wrapped or re inforced by ply cor ds
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold t ir e infl ation pr essure
means the tire pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a t ire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure i s measu red or adjusted.
Tire s an d wheel s 231
-If you notice un usua l vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
mea ns the weight of a motor ve hicle w ith
standard equipment includ ing t he maximum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coolant, ai r cond i­
tion ing a nd addi tional weig ht o f optiona l
equipment .
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
respondi ng s tanda rd tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "X L", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"R F" on the sidewall .
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
mea ns the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicle.
Groo ve
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load tha t a t ire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the load r ating for a tire at the maxi­
mum pe rm issi ble inflat ion pressure for that
ti re .
•
•
...

-----------------------------~I~ n~d~ e~x 285
Parking system (rear, with rea r view cam ­
era) Park ing mode 1 ......... ... .. .. .. . 1 18
Park ing mode 2 .......... .... .. ... 119
Safety precautions ........ .. .. .. .. . 116
Sw itching on/off .............. .... 117
Sw itching rear view camera on/off ... . 120
Parts rep lacement . ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 274
P ass-t hrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light . . . . . . . . 155
P assive safety system .... ... .. .. .. .. . 126
P eda ls .. .. ... ...... ............. .. 13 1
Phys ica l pr inc iples of a frontal coll is ion . 137
P olishing .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 20 1
Pollutant filter (automatic AC system) . .. 68
Powe r
seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
P ower locking sys tem ....... .. .. .. .. .. 3 2
E mergency locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Power windows ... .... ... .. .. .. .... 41
Rear lid .... .... .. .... ... .. .. .. .... 39
Selective unlock feat ure ... .. .. .. .. .. 37
Sett ings . .. ............. .... .. .... 37
Sliding/tilting sunroof ..... .. .. .. .. .. 41
P owe r steering
refer to Electro-mechanical power as­
sist
. .. ... . .... ............. .. .. .
Powe r window 188
Conven ien ce opening/ closing . .. .. .. .. 41
Powe r windows ......... ...... .... ... 40
C hi ld safety locks ............ .... ... 40
M alf unct io ns ............ .... .. .. .. 42
Pregnant women Special cons iderations when weari ng a
safety belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Proper occupa nt seating positions .. .. . 127
P rope r safe ty belt pos it ion ... .. .. .. .. . 14 0
Proper seat ing pos ition
Front passenger . ............. ... .. 128
Occupa nts ..... ........... ... ... .. 127
Rear passengers ............... .... 129
Q
Quartz clock ............... ... ... ... 12
quattro ®
refer to all-whee l dr ive
189 Question
What happens to unbe lted occupants? 137
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
R
Radiator fan 224
Rain/ light sensor
H ead ligh ts .. .. .. ................. . 44
Inte rmit ten t (w indshie ld w ipers) . .. .. . SO
Senso r defec tive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Read ing lights . .. .... ... ....... ...... 47
Rear door su n shade . .. ... .... ... .. .. . 49
Rea r fog lights .. .. ................. . 44
Rear lid
Emergency re lease .. .............. .. 39
E scape handle ... .. . .. .. .. ... ... .. . 40
Open ing and closing ... ..... ... .... . 39
Rear light
Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rea r view came ra
118
119
Pa
rking mode 1
Parking mode 2
Rea r view m irror
· · · · · .. ......... .. .. . 48
Rear window heat ing 70
Rear window sun shade .. ..... ... .. .. . 49
Recircu lation mode (automat ic cl imat e
control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Refuel ling .. .. .. .. ................. 212
Re lease lever for hood
Remote control 215
Homel in k ... .. .. ................. 121
Remote contro l key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Pe rsonalizing .. .. .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 33
unlocking/locking .. .............. .. 35
Remote rear lid re lease .. ..... ... .. .. . 39
Repair ma nuals .. .. ... ............ .. 272
Repairs Airbag system ... .. . .. .. .. ... ... .. 157
Rep lacement key .... . .. ..... ... .. .. . 33
Rep lac ing
Windsh ie ld wiper b lades ........ ..... 51
Rep lacing bu lbs . .. ................. 261
Rep lacing tires and wheels ..... ... .. . .
Repo rting Saf ety Defects ............ .
Reset button
. ... .. .. . ...............
Retr actor ... .. .. .. .. .. ........... ..
242
134
12
139
•
•

Side curtain airbags ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 162
Descr iption ..... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 162
H ow they work . ....... ... .. .. .. .. . 163
Safety instructions ........ .. .. .. .. . 1 64
Side ma rker ligh ts ......... .. .. .. .. .. 44
Ski sack ... ... ............. ...... ... 66
Sliding/tilti ng sun roof
Conven ience opening/closing . .. .. .. .. 41
Emergency closing ........ .. .. .. .. .. 42
Opening and clos ing ...... .. .. .. .. .. 42
Sunshade .................. .... ... 42
Snow chains ..... ...... ... .. .. .. ... 246
Soc ket
12-vo lt .. .. ............. .... .. .... 60
Sound system display .............. ... 24
Sources of information about chi ld re-
straints and t heir use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Sp are tire .. .. ............. .... .. .. . 2S l
Speedometer ............. .... .. .. .. 12
Speed rating letter code .. ... .. .. .. .. . 2 42
Speed warn ing system ........... .... . 79
Sport different ia l .......... .... .. .. . 111
Indicator lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
S T ART ENGIN E STOP b utton (convenience
key) . ..... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... 76
S TART ENGIN E STOP button (Conven ience
key) .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. .... 75
Starting from rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Starting off with a trai ler . ... .. .. .. .. .. 79
Start ing the eng ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72, 75
Steer ing
Lock ing the steer ing ...... .. .. .. .. .. 72
also refer to Electro-mechanical power
assist . .. ... ...... ............. .. 188
Steer ing whee l
Ad justing steering column . .. .. .. .. .. 72
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 188
S teps fo r determ ining co rrect load lim it . 239
Stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 76
Storage ..... .. .. ........... .. .. .... 60
S to rage compar tments . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2, 67
S tron ic . .. .. .... ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. 89
S tronic transmission Driving information .... ... .. .. .. .. .. 91
Emergency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Inde x 287
Hill descent contro l .... ..... ... .. .. . 93
Kick-down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
•
Launc h Control Prog ram ..... ... .. .. . 94 •
Se lector lever lock ................. . 91
Se lector lever position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
tiptron ic ..... ... .. ................ 93
Sun roof . ... .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. . 42
also refer to Slid ing/ti lting s unroof 42
Su n shades
Re ar doo rs .. .. .. .. . .............. . 49
Rea r window ..... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 49
Su n visors ........ .. ..... ........... 49
Symbols
refer to Warn ing/ indicator lights ... .. . 13
T
Tachometer ....... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 11
T echnical modifications .......... .... 275
Tether anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
T ether strap ...... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 181
The first 1,000 miles (1,SOO km) and after-
wards ...... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 192
Tie-down s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65, 133
tiptron ic ... .. .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 83
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driving ... .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .. . 84
Dynam ic shift program ......... .... . 87
Emergency mode . ................. . 88
Manua l shift program . ...... ... .. .. . 88
Se lector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
S tronic transmission ... .. .. ... ... .. . 93
Tire pressure .. .. .. .. ............... 236
T ire pressure mo nitoring system
L oss of air press ure ... ...... ... .. .. 249
Malfunction ....... . .. .. ..... ... .. 249
Resetting tire pressures . ..... ... .. .. 250
T ires ....... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 230
L ow aspect ratio tires ........... .... 247
Serv ice life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Speed ra ting letter code ..... ... .. .. 242
Tire manufacturing date ..... ... .. .. 242
Tire pressure monitoring system ... .. 248
Tire specifications ................. 242
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
U niform tire quality gradi ng . ... ... .. 244
Winter tires ...... ...... .......... 245