2013 AUDI A4 SEDAN ESP

182 Child Safet y
-Never attac h a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment .
- Never use c hild restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restra ints .
- Never secure or attach any l uggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors.
- If a tether or other strap is used to at­
tac h a child restraint to the front passen­
ger seat, make sure that it is not so
t ight, that it causes the weight -sensing
mat to measu re more weight than is ac­
tua lly on the seat.
- The heav ier weight reg istered can make
the Advanced Airbag System wo rk as
though an adult we re on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced A irbag when it m ust
be s uppressed causing ser ious or even
fatal inj ury to the child.
- If you mus t install a rearward f acing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circ umstan ­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position a nd
have the a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
F ig . 1 58 Tethe r strap: prope r rou ting and mounting
Installing the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restra int acco rding to the child re­
straint manufacturer's instruct ions . .,.
Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint co
fig. 158 (raise the head re­
straint if necessary).
.,. Tilt the recess flap up to expose the anchor
bracket.
.,. Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the opening of t he tether anchorage.
.,. Pull on the tethe r strap hook so that the
spri ng catch of the hook engages .
.,. Tight en t he te ther s tra p firmly fo llow ing
the child restraint manufac turer's instruc­
tions .
Releasing the tether strap
.,. Loosen the tens ion fo llowing the child re­
s traint manufa cture r's instr uctions.
.,. Depress the spring c atc h o n the hook and
release it from the ancho rage.
(D Note
If yo u leave the child restr aint w ith the
tethe r strap firm ly ins talled for several
days, this could leave a ma rk on the up­
ho lstery on the seat cushion and backrest
i n the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled. The upholstery would also be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap . This applies espec ia lly to leather
seats .
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rearward-facing child res traint
systems come w ith a tether. Please read and
heed the c hild restra int system man ufactur­
er 's instr uctions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
A WARNING
-
-
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seat installed on the front passeng er seat
will be s erious ly inju re d and ca n be killed if
the fr ont air bag infla tes -even with an Ad­
va nced A irbag Sys tem .
- Th e inflating airbag will h it th e chi ld
safety sea t or infant c arrie r wi th gre at
for ce and will sma sh the child s afety seat
~

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.
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186 Intelligent technology
-Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways help to reduce the risk of loss of ve­ hicle control.
(i_) Tips
- ABS and ASR only work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires . Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working .
- If the indicator light
I] or l;S (USA
models);tl] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction ¢
page 19,
¢page 19.
Switching on /off
ESC turns on automatically when you start
the engine .
Fig. 159 Vers ion A: low er ce nter c onsol e, 1', OFF but­
to n
.... .. [ I _j nw· 1-_, .. _ , 1 -- - .-=---1
I;· . i-a~ -~ ~-,' I ' .;- c;.il..-~ -~ 1,1
~' . -' ' 1 ' ...... ~ ... ~- ;. '"~ l __,
Fig. 160 Versio n B: upper ce nter console,!'> OFF but­
to n
Turning off ASR
In some situations, it may be useful to switch
ASR
off to allow the wheels to spin. For exam­
ple:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow chains
Qu ickly press the
i.i, OFF I button ¢ fig. 159
and¢ fig. 160. The fi indicator light turns on
and the message
Traction control (ASR): Off.
Warning! Restricted stability
appears in the
display .
It is only possible to turn off the ASR up to
30 mph (SO km/h) for vehicles with front
wheel drive . At about 45 mph (70 km/h) it au ­
tomatically turns on again .
It is possible to
turn
off the ASR at any speed for vehicles with
all wheel drive.
Turning off ESC
Press and hold the I B OFFI button for three
seconds . The
Ii ESC indicator light turns on
and the message
Stabilization control (ESC):
off. Warning! Restricted stability
appears in
the display. ASR is also switched
off when ESC
is switched off.
Switching on
Press the 1 .$ OFFI button again. The 11 indica­
tor light turns on and the message
Stabiliza­
tion control (ESC): On
appears in the display .
_&. WARNING
- Drive wheels can spin and you can lose
control of the vehicle more easily when
ASR and ESC are switched off, especially
when the road is slippery .
- Switch ASR/ESC
off only when your driv­
ing skills, traffic and weather conditions
permit.
(D Tips
You cannot switch ASR and ESC
off when
adaptive cruise control* is working.
-

Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new
brake pads do not possess their full braking
effect, they have to be "broken in" first¢& .
You can compensate for this slightly reduced braking power by pushing harder on the brake
pedal. Avoid heavy braking loads during the
break-in per iod.
Operating conditions and driv ing habits
The brakes on today's automobi les are sti ll
subject to wear, depending largely on operat ­
ing conditions and driving habits¢.&. . On
vehicles that are e ither driven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure
to have your b rake pads inspected can result
in red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, you p revent un­
necessary wear on the brake system.
If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter­
va ls.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situat ions, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, after overnight
condensation or after washing your car, the
braking effect can be reduced by moisture or
ice on the brake roto rs and brake pads . The
brakes must be dried first with a few careful
brake applications .
A t hi gher speeds and with the windshield w ip­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time .
This occurs at regular intervals without the
Intelligent technology 187
driver noticing and provides for better brake
response time under wet conditions .
T he effectiveness of the brakes can be red uced
when the vehicle is driven on a sa lt-co vered
road and the b rakes are not used. Likewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious ap­
plications of the brake ¢ & .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regu larly or
on ly for short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor ­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed ¢.&. .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
c ircuits may have failed ¢.&. .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronica lly.
Brake booster
T he brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate with the brake peda l. It works
only when the engine is runn ing .¢ .&.
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed fo r this in­
spection ¢
page 252, Changing a wheel .
A WARNING
-
- New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken-in" dur-
ing the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to
~
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With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumption, the following warning ap­
pears in the MMI display :
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The warning indicates that the system will be
turned off automatically 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 being driven , the battery can be ­
come discharged . This happens mostly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­ brium, consumers which require especially
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off . Heating systems in par­
ticular require 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 temporarily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be available again as
soon as the energy balance has been 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 additional energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged.
Intelligent technology 191
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192 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.

194 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-

Tire pressure
When towing a trai le r, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (vis ible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Light s
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be su re tra iler sa fety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per ­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, 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
separatio n from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling o f vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer whe n 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 ea rly .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight di stribution
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
steer ing control.
Trailer towing 197
A "balanced" 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 vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icult 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
when 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 tra ilers 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 ¢ page 10
must be observed carefully . If the need le
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 instrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov ­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in yo ur car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi.
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