2014 AUDI S4 automatic transmission

84 On th e road
in the hy dra ulic valve adjusters. This is
norma l and not a cause for concern.
- If you leave the vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch
off
after a certain period of time . Please
note that e lectrica l equipment such as
exter ior lights w ill switch
off as well
when that happens.
Switching engine off
Applies to vehicles: with conven ience key
" Bring your vehicle to a complete stop.
"Automatic transmiss ion: Move the selector
lever to the P or N pos it ion.
" Press the
!START ENGINE STOPI button
r::!;page83, fig. 97.
Steering lock
The stee ring locks when you turn the engine
off us ing the I STAR T ENGINE STOP I button
and open the dr iver's door. The locked stee r­
i ng helps preven t vehicle theft.
Emergency off
If necessary, the eng ine ca n be sw itched off
with the selector leve r in the R or D/S pos i­
tions. To do so, step on the brake pedal and
p ress and hold the
I START ENGINE STOP I but­
ton vehicle speed must be less than 6 mph (10 km/h).
_& WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine before the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop . The
full function of the brake booster and the
power steering is not guaranteed. You
must use more force to turn or brake if
necessary . Because you cannot steer and
brake as you usua lly would, this could
lead to crashes and se rious injur ies.
- For safety reasons, you s hould always
par k your vehicle with the se lector lever
in P. Ot herwise, the ve hicle co uld inad­
vertent ly roll away.
- T he radiator fan ca n continue to ru n for
up to 10 mi nutes even after yo u have
tu rne d
off the eng ine and remove d the ignition key. The radiator fan can a
lso
turn on again if the engine coo lant heats
up because of intense sunlight or heat
bu ild-up in the engine compartment.
- Always take the key w ith you whenever
you leave your ve hicle. Otherw ise, the
eng ine could be sta rted or electrical
equ ipme nt such as the power windows
could be ope rated. This can lead to seri­
ous injury.
(D Note
If the engine has bee n under heavy load
for an extended pe riod, heat bu ilds up in
the engine compartment after the engine
i s sw itched
off -there i s a r is k of damag ing
the engine. A llow the eng ine to run at id le
for about two minutes before switching it
off.
Driver messages
Ignition i s on
This message appears and a warning tone
sounds if you open the d river's door when the
ignition is sw itched on.
No key id entified
This message appears when the
I S TART ENGINE STOPI button is pressed if
there is no master key ins ide the veh icle or if
the system does not recognize it . Fo r exam­
ple, the master key cannot be recognized if it
is covered by an object (e.g. al uminum b rief
case) which
screens the radio s ignal. Elec tron­
ic dev ices such as cell phones can also inter­
fere with the radio s ignal.
Pres s brak e pedal to start engine
This message appears if you do not press the
brake pedal to start the eng ine in a veh icle
with an automat ic transm iss ion.
Press clutch pedal to sta rt engine
T his message appears if yo u do not press the
clutch pedal to start the engine in a vehicle
with a manual transmission. .,.

86 On the road
Emerge ncy b rake function
An emergency brake ensures t hat the vehicle
can be slowed down even if the normal brakes
fail
c::> page 87, Emergency broking.
Indicat or light s
-If the par king b rake is closed w ith the igni­
t ion
s witc hed on the . (USA mode ls) /
• (Canada models) indica tor lights come
on in the instrument cluster and the switch .
-If the parking brake is closed w ith the igni ­
tion
s witc hed off the . (USA mode ls) /
• (Canada models) indicator lights come
on in the instrument cluster and the switch
for about 20 seconds .
A WARNING
If a gear or a drive range (automat ic trans­
m ission) is engaged with the vehicle sta­
tionary and the engine runn ing, you must
in no instance accelerate o r release the
cl utch * careless ly. Otherw ise the vehicle
w ill sta rt to move immediately- r isk of an
accident .
@ Note
If the . symbol in the display or the.
(USA models) . (Canada models) indica­
tor light i n the instrument cluster flashes,
t here is a mal function i n the brake system.
By pressing the
ISETI button, you can bring
up a driver message which explains the malfunct ion in more detai l. If the driver
message
Parking b rake! appears, there is
an operating malfunction in the park ing
brake wh ich you shou ld have repa ired im­
mediately by an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop c::>poge 15.
(D Tips
-You can apply the parking brake at any
time -even w ith the ignition switched
off . The ignit ion must be turned on and
the b rake peda l must be pressed in o rder
to release the pa rking brake . - Occasional noises when the parking
brake is applied and released are normal
and are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regu lar interva ls. Any associated noises
are normal.
Parking
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle .
.. Pull the sw itch @
c::> page 85, fig . 98 to set
the parking brake .
.,. Automatic transmission: Move the selecto r
lever to P.
.. Turn the engine off
c::> ,&. .
.. Manual transmission: Shift into 1st gear.
.. When on inclines o r declines, turn the steer ­
ing wheel so that the vehicle will roll into
the curb if it begins to move.
A WARNING ...__
- When you leave your vehicle -even if on­
ly br iefly -always remove the ignition
key . Th is app lies pa rticularly whe n chi l­
d ren remai n in the vehicle. Otherwise the
children could st art the eng ine , release
the par king brake or operate electrical
equ ipment (e.g. power windows). The re
is the risk of an accident.
- When the veh icle is locked, no one -par ­
ticularly not children should remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
d ifficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle -putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking broke is released automatically upon
starting.
Stopping and applying par king brake
.. Pull the switch @¢ page 85, fig. 98 to ap-
ply the parking brake .
Ill>

Starting and autom ati call y relea sing the
pa rking b rake
~ When you start to drive as usua l, the park ­
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signa l or stopp ing
in city traffic on vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the parking brake can be ap­
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
w ith the footbrake . The park ing brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep with a drive range
engaged. As soon as you dr ive off as usual,
the park ing brake is released automatically
and the vehicle sta rts to move .
Starting on slop es
When starting on inclines, the start ing ass ist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll­
ing back. The braking force of the parking
brake is not released until sufficient dr iving
force has been b uilt up at the whee ls.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re­
leased automatically only when the dr iv­
er 's safety belt is engaged in the buc kle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
~ Keep the switch@c::> page 85, fig . 98 pulled
and depress the accelerator. The park ing
brake stays applied and prevents the vehicle
from roll ing backward.
~ You can release the switch @once you are
sure that yo u are developing enough driving
force at the wheels by depressing the accel­
erator.
D epending on the weight of the rig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline , you
may roll backwards as you start. Yo u can pre­
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch @pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill wit h
a conventional hand brake .
On the ro ad 87
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys­
tem fails or locks .
~ In an emergency, pull the switch @
c::>
page 85, fig. 98 and continue to pull it to
slow your vehicle down with the parking
brake .
~ As soon as you re lease the switch @or ac-
celerate, the b rak ing process s tops.
If you pull the switch @and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the eme rgen­
cy bra king funct ion is initia ted . T he veh icle is
braked at all four whee ls by activating the hy­
draulic brake system. The brake performance
is similar to making an emergency stop c::>
&..
In order not to act ivate the eme rgency brak­
ing by mis take, an audib le warning tone (buz ­
zer) so unds when the switch @is pulled. As
soon as the switch @ is re leased, or the acce l­
erato r pedal is depressed, emergency braking
stops.
A WARNING
...--
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has fa iled or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Using the parking b rake to pe rform emer­
gency brak ing will slow your vehicle down
as if you had made a full bra ke application .
The laws of physics cannot be suspended
even with ESC and its associated compo ­
nents (ABS, ASR, EDS) . In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad,
a full brake application can ca use the vehi­
cle to sk id or the rear end to break away -
risking an accident.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
The speed warn ing system warns if the driver
exceeds a p reviously stored max imum speed .
A warn ing tone w ill sound as soon as the
Ill>

Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
App lies to vehicles: with manual transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the
way before you can start the engine.
T he manual transmission in your Audi is
equipped with an
interlock-feature.
~ Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
~ Start the eng ine with the gearshift lever in
Neutral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears . Do not hold the vehicle on
a hill with the clutch pedal partially de­
pressed. This may cause premature clutch
wear or damage .
@ Tips
-Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift
into Reverse w ith the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
Applies to vehicles: with manual transmission
Fig. 102 Gearshift pattern : 6-speed manual transmis­
sio n
Engaging reverse gear (R)
~ Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it forward . Transmission
91
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehi­
cle completely, shift into
Neutral and rest the
shift lever br iefly in Neutral before shift ing in­
to
Reverse.
multitronic., S tronic.,
tiptronic
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/S tronic/tiptronic
The automatic transmission is controlled elec ­
tronically. The transmission upshifts or down­
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected .
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economical
driving mode. It will then change up early and
delay the downshifts to give better fuel econ ­
omy .
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
t ion, frequent changes in speed and trave ling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ~ page 91.
Various automatic transmissions may be in­
stalled, depending on the model:
multitronic transmission
The multitronic transmission is a continuously
variable transmission. Power is transferred us­
ing a multidisk clutch. In contrast to conven­
tional automatic transmissions using shifting
operations, the transmission ratio in the con­
tinuously variable transmission is changed
continuously . This optimizes the comfort level
and conserves fuel.
S tronic transmission
The S tronic is a dual-clutch transmission .
Power is transferred using two clutches that
work independently from one another_ They
replace the torque converter used in conven­
tiona l automatic transmissions and allow the ..,_

92 Transmission
vehicle to accelerate without a noticeable in­
terruption in traction.
tiptronic transmission
I n the tiptronic transmission, power is trans­
ferred by a torque converter.
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/5 tronic/tiptronic
Fig. 103 Display in the in stru me nt duste r: selecto r
lever in position P
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
strument cluster display.
P - Park
In this selector lever position the transmis­
sion is mechanically locked. Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped ¢ &
in Driving the automatic transmission on
pag e 94 .
To shift in or out of pos ition P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
wh ile mov ing the se lector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on .
R-Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed ¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 94 .
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the release button in the handle of the
selector lever
and the brake pedal at the same
time. When the
ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position .
Shift to this position for standing with the
brakes applied ¢
& in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 94.
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), yo u must always apply
the footbrake before and whi le moving the
lever out of N.
D/S - Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal mode D or in
the sport mode S . To select the sport mode S,
pull the selector lever back briefly. Pulling the
lever back again will se lect the normal mode
D. The instrument cluster disp lay shows the
selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio.
It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv­
ing style .
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving .
T he vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeable when
accelerating.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), you must always app ly
the foot brake before and while moving the lever to D/S out of N.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 94 .
(D Note
Coasting downhill with the transm ission in
N and the engine not running will result in
damage to the automatic transmission
and possibly the catalytic conve rter. .,..

@ Tips
-On vehicles with drive select*, you can
adjust the sporty shift characteristics in
the
Dynamic driving mode.Swill appear
in the instrument cluster display instead
ofD.
- If you accidentally select N while driving,
take your foot off the accelerator pedal
immediately and wait for the engine to
slow down to idle before selecting D/S.
- If there is a power failure, the selector
lever will not move out of the P position .
The emergency release can be used if
th is happens ~
page 98.
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/5 tronic/tiptron ic
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you
against accidentally shifting into a forward or
the reverse gear and causing the vehicle to
move unintentionally.
Fig. 104 Shift gate: selector lever lock positions and
release button highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
... Turn the ign ition on .
... Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time
press and hold the release button on the
side of the gear se lector knob¢
fig. 104
with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position.
Automatic selector lever lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po·
sitions when the ignition is turned on. You
must press the brake pedal and the release
button to select another position. As a re·
m inder to the driver, the following warning
Transmission 93
appears in the instrument cluster display
when the selector is in P and N:
When stationary apply brake pedal while se­
lecting gear
The Automatic Shift Lock only functions when
the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 1 mph (2 km/h).
At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deacti­
vated in the N position .
A time delay element prevents the selector lever from locking when it is moved through
the N position (going from R to D/S). The lock­
ing element will lock the selector lever if the
lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap­
proximately 2 seconds, without the brake ped­
al being pressed.
Release button
The release button on the selector lever pre­
vents the lever from be ing accidentally shifted
into certain positions. Depending on the direc­
tion of the shift, the selector lever locks at dif­
ferent positions. The positions are highlighted
in the illustration¢
fig. 104 .
Ignition key safety interlock
The key cannot be removed from the ignition
unless the selector lever is in the P park posi­
tion. When the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever will be locked in the P position.
Driving the automatic transmission
Applies to vehicles; with mult itronic/S tronic/tiptronic
Fig. 105 Sh ift gate on the center console: selector lev-
er w it h re lease button ..,_

94 Transmission Starting the engine
.. The selecto r lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle, se lect t he des ired selec­
tor lever position such as D/S and release
the button .
.. Wait briefly unti l the transmission has shift ­
ed (you will feel a slight movement) .
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce lerate.
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the vehicle stationary usin g the brak­
ing peda l, for examp le at traffic lights .
.. Do not press the accelerator pedal when do­
ing this .
.. To prevent the veh icle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines
c> _& .
.. The parking brake will release automatically
and the vehicle w ill start moving once you
press the accelerator pedal.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the dr iver's door, the vehicle
could roll. The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears.
.. Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.. Apply the parking brake
c> page 86, Parking .
.. Select the P selector lever position c> _&.
Stopping on an incline
.. Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve­
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
c> _& . Do not try to prevent the vehi­
cle from "roll ing back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing the eng ine speed
c> (D.
Starting on an incline
.. Activate the parking brake.
.. With the driving gear se lected, press the ac­
celerator pedal carefully. The park ing brake will release automatically if your seat
belt is
fastened .
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mountains, it may be usefu l to switch
temporarily to the manual shift program in or­
der to adjust the gears to the driving cond i­
tions by hand
c> page 96.
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position .
This prevents too much stress from being
placed on the locking mechanism .
Vehicles with multitronic transmission: Your
vehicle is equipped with
hill hold assist allow­
ing you to start while on an incline. The sys­
tem is activated when the brake pedal is
pressed down and he ld
for a few seconds . The
brake pressure will hold for
a moment after
the brake pedal loosens to prevent the vehicle
from roll ing backwards wh ile starting up .
A WARNING
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
r un ning while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selecto r lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in
DIS or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected .
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when changing the selector lever position
while the veh icle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep s lope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".

-Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail­
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
mJ illu­
minates and a driver message appears
¢ page 9 7 when the clutch is overload­
ed .
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 214. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake ap­ plied .
0 Note
-S tronic- and tiptronic transmission:
When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the transmis­
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti­
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission: Al­
lowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is in N will damage the transmission be­
cause it is not lubricated under those cir­
cumstances .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driv ­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Transmission 95
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th mult itronic/ S tro nic/tiptro nic
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de­ scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may still be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
¢ page 89 , hill descent control is also activat­
ed when the speed is set.
.&_ WARNING
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes .