2013 AUDI S4 SEDAN traction control

There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: Limited driv·
ing functionality
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will no longer shift at all. The en­
gine may stall. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
[O] Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle
and shift to park.
Do not continue driving. Select the P selector
lever position and see your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis­
tance.
([) Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, you should take the vehicle to an
authorized Audi dealership as soon as pos­
sible to have the condition corrected.
Emergency release of the selector lever
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic or tiptro nic
If the vehicle's power supply foils, the selec­
tor lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig . 87 Removing ashtray insert
Transmission 89
Fig . 88 Emerge ncy release fo r se lecto r lever
The emergency release is located under the in­
sert for the ashtray.
.,. Slide open the cover for the ashtray.
.,. Release the ashtray by pushing the switch
@ ¢
fig. 87 to the right .
.,. Remove the ashtray insert @ .
.,. Now you can see a small cover in the ash­
tray holder on the front of the ashtray re­
cess .
.,. Release and remove this cover.
.,. You now have access to a bolt. Using a
screwdriver or similar, press the bolt down
and hold it down ¢
fig. 88.
.,. Now press the interlock and move the selec-
tor lever to the N position .
The selector lever can only be moved from the
P position if the ignition key is in the lock and
the ignition is turned on . If the vehicle has to
be pushed or towed if the power supply fails
(e .g . battery is discharged), the selector lever
must first be moved to the N position using
the emergency locking device.
S tronic®
Introduction
Applies to vehicles : with S tronic transmission
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronical­
ly -controlled manual transmission called S
tronic ®. Two independent clutches transfer
the power between the engine and transmis­
s ion. They rep lace the torque converter used
in conventional automatic transmissions and
allow the vehicle to accelerate without a no­
ticeable interruption in traction.

94 Transmi ssion
When acce lerating, the transmiss ion will au­
tomatically shift into the next gear before the
engine reaches its maximum RPM.
I f you apply a ligh t throttle when accelerat­
ing, tiptronic will automatically shift from 1st
to 2nd gear to save fuel. If you app ly a heavy
thrott le, the transmission will stay in 1st gear
unti l near maximum RPM is reached, or unt il
the dr iver shifts into 2nd gear.
If you take your foot off the accelerator peda l
when dr iving down a steep incline, tiptronic
will downshift from the selected gear into the next lower gear until it reaches 1st gear,
based on road speed and eng ine RPM . Auto ­
mat ic downshifti ng is interrupted as soon as
you apply the th rottle aga in .
(D} Tips
- When you sh ift into the next lower gear,
the transmiss ion will downshift only
when there is no possibility of over-rev­
v ing the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the
transmission will sh ift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds.
- Tiptronic is inope rat ive when the t rans­
mission is in the fail-sa fe mode.
Kick-down
A pp lies to vehicles: with S tro nic tr ansmiss ion
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the acce lerator pedal down
beyond the resistance po int, the automatic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle speed and engine RP M.
It
shifts up into the next h igher ge ar once the
max imum specified engine RPM is reached.
& WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is
active.
Launch Control Program
App lies to vehicles : wit h S tronic tra nsmi ssio n
The Launch Control Program provides the
best acceleration possible when starting from
a stop .
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be t urned .
.. Press the
I~ OF F! button c::;, page 186 while
the engine is running. The
fl ind icator light
illuminates in the instrument cluster and
Traction control (ASR ): Off . Warning! Re­
stricted stability
appea rs in the driver infor­
mat io n system display .
.. Move the se lector lever to the D/S posit ion
or select the
d ynamic dr iv ing mode in Audi
drive select*
c::;, page 112 .
.. Press the brake peda l strongly with your left
foot and ho ld it down for at least one sec­
ond.
.. At the same time, press the accelerator
pedal down complete ly w ith your r ight foot
until t he e ngine reaches and mainta ins a
h igh RP M.
.. Remove yo ur foot from the brake pedal
w ith in S seconds
c::;, A, .
& WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
f low .
- On ly use the Launch Cont ro l Program
when road and traffic conditions a llow it
and other drivers w ill not be endangered
or annoyed by your driving and the vehi­
cle's acceleration.
- Please note that the d riving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when ASR is switched off , especially
when the road is slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you shou ld
sw itch the ASR back on by pressing the
lfl O FF ! button . .__ _____________ _J ...

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.
•
•

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.
-

Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The Radio/MM!* display may be clea ned with
a soft cloth and commercially-availab le "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the cleaning solution when cleaning the
display .
The
MMI* controls must be cleaned first with
a brush so that dirt does not enter the un it or
enter between the buttons and the housing.
Then wiping the controls with a cloth damp ­
ened with dish detergent and water is recom ­
mended.
(D Note
- To avoid scratch ing the display, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
- To prevent damage, make s ure fl uids do
not enter the controls.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum surfaces and can dam­
age them ove r time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r::> page 199.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fa brics and fabric coverings (e.g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular
intervals with a vacuum cleaner. This removes
surface dirt particles which could become em­ bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Cleaning and protection 205
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint -free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal sur face stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fr uit
jui ce, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the remaining deterge nt. Apply the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste rubbed into them. After­
wards, remove the soap with water (damp
sponge).
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from
grease, oil , lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
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
ter.
In the case of genera l soiling of the upho ls­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specia list t hat has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
r::> page 199.
•
•

A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their" previous histo ­
ry ." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control. Tires and wheels 241
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in
.
Fig. 178 Tir e specificat ion codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rat ing
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The ti res and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•

244 Tires and wheels
-All four wheels must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires - only use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them
at the factory. The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires and a
factory-installed tire pressure monitor­ ing system* that indicates a loss of tire
pressure. Incorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or
tire specialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not
permitted.
(D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap.
The valves could get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c> page 241,
fig. 178 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. ..,_

The relative perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate .
Trac tion
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢,&. .
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden ti re fa ilu re ¢ ,&. .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. G rades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of perfo rmance on the laboratory tes t
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this ti re is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
-
Tire s an d wheel s 245
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true winter o r "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed o n all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on you r vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with all wheel drive,
th is w ill improve traction during winter driv­
i ng, even with the standa rd tires . However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on you r vehicle wit h corre ct ly fit­
ted winter tires or all-season t ires, when win­
te r road cond itions are expected . This also im ­
proves the veh icle's braking per formance and
reduces stopping dista nces.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use
o nly rad ial w inter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con­
dit ions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 241.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
•
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