2013 AUDI A4 SEDAN suspension

22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the message appea rs, there is a mal func ­
tion in the headlights or lig ht switch.
Dr ive to yo ur autho rize d Audi deale r i mmedi­
a te ly to have the mal func tion cor re cte d.
8_ WARNING
- Ligh t bul bs are pressurized and co uld ex ­
plode while t hey are being changed caus­
ing ser ious persona l injury.
- W ork w ith due care when handling the
high-volta ge section of gas discha rge
(xenon) lights*. Fai lure to do so could re­
sult in death or se rious i njury.
Have the bulb replaced or t he connection
re paired by yo ur auth o rized Au di Service
department.
~()) Headlight range control
Applies to vehicles: with headlight range control
El Headlight range control defective !
If t he symbo l El il lum inates , the dynam ic
headlight range cont ro l is no longer wo rking
properly . Have the system checked and re ­
pa ired at your author ized Audi dealer.
§0 Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive light
mil Audi adaptive light : defective
If the indicator light turns on and th is mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
adapt ive light system. The headlights still
f u nction .
Go to an authori zed dea lership to have the
headlights or the contro l unit for the adapt ive
light repa ired .
~D Light/rain sensor
Applies to vehicles: with light/rain sensor
tfl Automatic headlights / automatic wipers
defective
If the indica to r li ght turns on and this mes ­
sage a ppears, the light/ rain senso r is not
f unct ioning correct ly .
F o r sa fe ty reasons the low be ams are turne d
o n pe rmanen tly with the sw itch in
AUTO.
However, you can conti nue to turn the lights
o n and off using the light switch. Yo u can st ill
control a ll functions that are independent of
the ra in sensor through the w indshield w iper
l ever .
Contact your a uthorized Aud i dea ler as soon
as possible to have the problem co rrected .
Q Adaptive dampers
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
B Suspension : System fault!
If the B symbol in the disp lay comes on, there
is a ma lf u nction in the adaptive dampers.
Please go to an authori zed A udi dealer or ot h­
er qualified wo rkshop to have the malfunct ion
r epaired .
I-: Sport differential
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
Sport differential : System fault!
There is a malfunction with t he sport d iffe ren­
tia l.
Drive to your auth orized A udi dealer immedi ­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected .
Sport differential: Overheating
The t ransm iss ion t empe ra tur e has in cr eased
s ignific antly due to t he spo rty dr iving manner .
D rive in a less sporty m anner un til the tem­
pera ture re turns to the normal range and the
indicato r light switches of.
8_ WARNING
Contact your author ized Audi dealer or a
q ua lified workshop if the spo rt differential
i s faulty or malfunct io ning . T he repair
must be performed by train ed perso nnel
usi ng the co rr e ct oil in o rder to e nsure
s a fety.

Audi drive select Driving settings
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: w it h drive se lect
Audi drive select provides the possibility to ex­
perience different types of veh icle sett ings in
one vehicle. For instance, using the three
Comfort, Auto and Dynamic modes, the driv­
er can switch from a sporty to a comfortab le
driving mode with the press of a button.
Addit ionally, in vehicles with MM I*, the vehi ­
cle setup for
Individual* mode can be cus­
tomized by you. This makes it possib le to
combine settings such as a sporty engine tun­
ing with comfortable steering.
A WARNING
Improper use of the Audi drive select can
cause collisions, other acc idents and seri­
ous personal injury.
Description
Ap plies to vehicles: w it h drive se lect
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the vehicle's features. However, the engine,
automatic t ransmission* and steering are al­
ways involved.
.
Engine and automatic transmission*
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
automatic transmission respond quicker or in
a more ba lanced manner to acce lerator pedal
movements. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
automatic transmission shifts at higher R PMs.
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios . Indirect steer ing that
moves easily, like the stee ring in comfort
mode, is best su ited to long dr ives on a high­
way. In contrast, dynamic mode prov ides
sporty, di rect steering .
The follow ing applies to vehicles with dynam ic
steer ing*: the stee ring ratio changes based on
ve hicl e speed in order to maintain optimum
Audi drive select 111
steering effort for the driver at all times. This
sets the steering to be less sensitive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control. At reduced speeds, however, steer ing
is more direct in order to keep the steering ef­
fort as minimal as possible when the driver is
maneuveri ng the vehicle . At low and average
speeds, dynamic steering addit iona lly pro­
vides more responsive steering pe rformance.
Adaptive dampers*
The adaptive dampers* use sensors to record
i nformation regarding steering movements,
braking and acceleration operations by the
drive r, road surface, driving speed, and load.
T his makes it possible to adapt damp ing to
the driving situation virtually i n rea l time.
Audi drive select also makes it possible to sat­
isfy the desire for sporty s uspension (Dynam­
ic) and comfortable suspension (Comfort)
without giv ing up balanced tuning (Auto).
Sport differential*
As a component of the all whee l dr ive system
(quattro ®)
q page 189, the sport differential*
distributes the driving power to the rear axle
depending on the situation . The distribution
of power var ies depending on the mode se­
lected. The goal is a high level of agility and
ability to accelerate on curves . The ve hicle is
very respons ive to steering .
Adaptive cruise control*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjust­
ed from comfortab le to sporty, depending on
the drive select mode. Adaptive cru ise control
also responds to the driving behavior of the
vehicle ahead in a more conservative or sporty
manner .
Engine sound*
The sound of the eng ine is adapted to the se­
lected mode and ranges from subtle to sporty.
0) Tips
-In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
Auto
and Dynamic modes.

dealer is familiar with these requi rements
and we recommend that you have your
dea ler perform this serv ice for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag Sys­
tem performs in a crash. For example, us ing
tire-r im combinations not app roved by Aud i,
l owering the vehicle, changing the stiffness o f
the suspension, incl uding the sp rings, s uspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
un it. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
ple, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in wh ic h it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made. Other k inds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas ­
u red by the sensors and prevent the a irbag
from deploying when it shou ld .
The senso rs in the safety belt buckle fo r the
d river and front passenger sea t tell the elec ­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l atched or not . If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will dep loy at a slightly high­
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular co llision, it is poss ible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being use d but will inflate at the
position whe re the safety belt is not being
used. It is important tha t nothing i nterfe re
w it h the safety belt buckles so t hat the sen ­
sors can send t he correct information abo ut
safety belt use to the electronic contro l unit.
.&_ WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim c ombina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag pe r­
formance and increase the risk of ser ious
personal i njury in a crash.
- Never install suspens ion components
that do not have the same performance
A irba g sy stem 159
characteristics as the components o rigi­
na lly installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim com binations that
have not been approved by Audi.
.&_ WARNING
= -
Items stored between the safety be lt
b uckle and the center console can cause
the sens ors in t he buckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­ bag Syst em from wo rking properly.
- Always make s ure that nothing can in ter-
fe re with the safety b elt buckles and that
they are no t obstructed.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 144 Side airbag location in t he drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests¢
fig. 144 and the rea r
backrest faci ng the doors. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of :
-the electronic control modu le and external
side impact sensors
- the two a irbags located in the sides of the
front backrests and the two a irbags* located
in the rear backrest
- the airbag warn ing light in the instrument
cl uster .
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lec tronically
t o make ce rtain tha t it is f unction ing p ro perly
Ill-

A WARNING ,~ ~
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full brak ing effect.
([) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through wate r.
@ Tips
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
th rough water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for you r vehi­
cle to drive th rough safely.
- Avoid dr iving through sa lt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function ­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
11-Always use lead-free gasoline q page 210,
Fuel supply .
"'" Never run the tank down a ll the way to
empty.
11-Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine
q page 220, ~ Adding engine oil .
11-Never try to push -or tow-start your veh icle .
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean­ up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere .
Drivin g and en vironm ent 193
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
important for the life of the catalytic convert­
er and proper funct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
-
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other mate rial wh ich can
cause a fir e.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or rustp roof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
ve rter or heat shields. During driv ing, the
substance used for undercoating co uld
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fu el w il l already ser iously de­
gra de the performance of the catalytic
c onverte r.
- Do not ex ceed t he cor rect eng ine oil level
qpage 220.
- Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
comple tely empty. The engine co uld m is­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get in to
the exhaust system and th is co uld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve ­
hicle is moving.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converte r. T his
cou ld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave you r vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accorda nce w ith the serv ice rec­
ommendat ions in yo ur Warranty &
M ain tenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w ill impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage . ..,. •
•

240 Tires and wheels
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
F ig. 176 Tire tread: tre ad wea r ind icators (TWI)
_____ __,.J)
F ig. 1 77 Rotat ing t ires for more ev en wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The o rigi na l t ires on your veh icle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c::> fig . 176 running across the tread. Depend ­
i ng on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the t ire. Marks on
the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced .
Different fig ures may apply in o ther countries
c::> & .
Tire p ressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
a nd can cause sudden t ire blow-out. For th is
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 236.
Driving style
Driving fast aro und curves, heavy acce leration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your ve hicl e to h ave the
same service life, we recommen d that t he
front and rear t ires are rotated according to
the tire manufact urer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­ ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service inte rva ls o utlined in your
Ma intenance and Warranty Book let .
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Vehi cles w ith front-wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the fro nt w heels com­
pa red to all wheel d rive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 177.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 2 5 7 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new ve hicles are balanced .
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unba l­
anced, re sulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel through the steer ing wheel.
Un balanced whee ls must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and t ires. A whee l m ust also be reba lanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incor rect wheel alig nment can cause exces ­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the veh i­
cle . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an aut hori zed
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
All wheel drive
Vehicles with q uattro ® mus t always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see
c::> page 189. ..,.