2015 AUDI A4 ECO mode

158 Airbag system
-Never attach any objects such as cu­
pholders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system .
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it
must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified technician who has
the technical information, training and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only once. After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace -ment parts designed and approved espe­
cially for your Audi model version . Re­
placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per­
formed by qualified workshops only. Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed,
the vehicle battery separates the alterna­
tor and the starter from the vehicle elec­
trical system for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter­ rupter must only be performed by a
qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten ­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap­
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for

same kind of child restrain t offered by child
restraint manufacturers.
T he weight ranges for the ind iv idual types,
makes and models o f ch ild restra ints tha t the
NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typical in­
fants and typical 1 year-o ld child have been
stored in the control unit of the Advanced A ir ­
bag System. When a child res traint is being
used on the front passenger seat with a typi­
cal 1 year-old ch ild, the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem compares the we ight measured by the
weight sens ing mat with the info rmat ion s to r­
ed i n the electron ic cont rol unit.
The electron ic control unit a lso registers the
tension on the front passenger safety be lt .
The te nsio n on the safety be lt fo r the front
p assenger seat will be d iffe ren t fo r an ad ult
who is properly using the safety belt as com­
pared to the tension on the be lt when it is
used to attach a child restraint to the seat.
T he sensor below the latch for the safety be lt
for the front seat passenger measures the
t ension on the be lt. The input from this sen­
sor is then used with the we ight to "decide",
whether there is a ch ild restrai nt with a typ ical
1 year-o ld child on the front passenge r seat
and whether or no t the airbag must be turned
off.
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less o f the child res traint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet
United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manu­
facturer for use with an airbag. Always be sure
that the child restraint is properly insta lled at
one of the rear seat ing pos itions .
If in excep­
tional c ircumstances you must use it on the
fr ont passenge r seat, caref ully read all of the
information on c hild safety and Adv ance d Air­
bags an d heed a ll of the app licable WAR N­
I NGS . Make certai n that the child restraint is
'"" "' correctly recognized by the weig ht-sensing 0
11'5 mat inside the front passenger seat, that the ,....,
~ front passenger airbag is turned off and that
,....,
"' ,....,
Child Sa fet y 167
the a irbag s tat us is a lways cor rect ly signaled
by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of child res traints
have been available over t he years, new mod ­
els are introduced regu larly incorporating new
and improved designs and o lde r models are
ta ken o ut of product ion . Ch ild restraints are
not standa rd iz ed. Child restraints of the same
type typically have d ifferent weights and si zes
and different 'footpr ints, ' the size and shape
of the bottom of the ch ild restra int that sits
on the seat, when they a re insta lled on a vehi­
cl e sea t. T hese d iffe rences make i t vir tually
i mpossible to certify compl ian ce wi th t he re­
quiremen ts for advanced airbags with each
and every ch ild restraint that has eve r been
so ld in the past or wi ll be sold over the course
of the useful life of your veh icle.
For t his reason, the United S tates Na tional
Hig hway T raffic Safety Administration has
published a list of specific type, makes and
models of child restraints that must be used
to certify comp liance of the Advanced Airbag
Sys tem in your veh icle with the suppression
requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208. These child res traints are :
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
A ngel Guard A ngel September 25, 2007
Ride AA2403FOF
Subpart B -Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Ce ntury Smart Fit Decembe r 1, 1999
4 543
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007 22-013PAW and base
22 -999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Ad -December 1, 1999
just Right 212
Evenflo First Choice December 1, 1999
204
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
•
•

186 Intelligent technology
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
smal l.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the fo rce to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the d rive powe r to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
a ll-wheel drive* . This function is not avai lab le
at higher speeds.
I n extreme cases , EDL automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from ove rheating . EDL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the ve hicle by
changing the steering torque.
In vehicles with dynam ic steeri ng*, ESC also
he lps to stabilize the stee ring in critical s itua­
tions.
Electronic interaxle differential lock* /
selective wheel torque control*
The electronic interaxle d ifferential lock (front
wheel drive) or the select ive wheel torque
con trol ( all wheel d rive) oper ates when driving
through curves . The front whee l on the inside
of the cu rve or both whee ls on the inside of
the curve are b raked se lectively as needed.
This a llows more prec ise driving in c urves. The
applicable system may not activate when driv­ ing i n wet or snowy conditions.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems can­
not overcome the laws of physics. This is
especially important on slippery o r wet
roads . If the systems begin acting to sta·
b iliz e your veh icle, you s hou ld immed i­
a tely c ha n ge your speed to match the
road and traffic cond itions. Do not let
the increased safety provided by these
systems tempt you to take risks. Do ing
so will increase the risk of a loss of vehi­
cle control, collision and serious personal
inj uries.
-Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and weather conditions. The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
d riving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippe ry or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead. The ESC a nd its integrated sys­
tems canno t always p reven t collisions -
there is still a risk of acc idents!
- Always accelera te wi th spe cial care on
even, smooth s urfaces 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 he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only work cor rectly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires. D ifferent tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power .
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are working.
- If the ind icator light
DJ or ml (USA
mode ls)l iiJ (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction<=>
page 18,
<=>page 19 .

'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission control
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control 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 fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free super
grade gaso line.
Shutting down vehicle
If you wou ld like your veh icle to remain inop­
erat ive for a longer period of time, contact an
Aud i or other specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e .g. corro­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to add itional information con­
cerning the battery. Refer to¢
page 222.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle , as well as ex­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your persona l driving style
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel cons umption by 10-15 percent. This sec-
Driving and environment 195
tion wi ll give you some tips on how you can
help the environment and your pocketbook.
(0 Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating .
.,. Avo id unnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the most fue l when they are ac­
ce lerat ing. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate 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 maximum
speed.
Acce lerating gently reduces fue l consump­
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed l imit and weather con­
ditions permit.
•
•

'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
the engine is at its proper operating tempera­
ture and fuel economy has reached a normal
level. So you can see that you should avoid
short trips whenever possib le.
The
outside temperature is also critical in this
regard. Your car consumes more fuel in the
winter than in the summer .
allroad: Driving offroad
General information
Applies to vehicles: atlroad
When driving offroad, the funct ions for the
e lectronic stab ilization control (ESC) are ex­
panded. The ESC-Offroad-Mode can be activat­
ed in driving situations in which a wheel lock
or a differentia l lock function is needed
c::> page 187. In addition, your Audi provides
continuous all wheel drive .
Your Audi is however , not an offroad vehicle.
Never drive the vehicle in terrain which is not
suitable for the vehicle, or which exceeds
your driving skills. Never take any unneces­
sary risks!
After driving offroad
-After driving offroad, remove branches and
other debris from the radiator grille, under ­
body, and wheels. Look especially for objects
(stones) that have been caught in the tire
tread .
- Clean the body and the vehicle underbody
and inspect the vehicle for possible damag­
es.
- Clean off the dirty windows, headlights, tail
lights and the license plate.
- Perform a brake test (especially after driving through water).
A WARNING
- Be espec ially aware and attentive when
dr iv ing under diff icult conditions . Dam­
ages to the vehicle and injuries may oc­
cur when driving at an excess ively high
speed or with incorrect driving maneu­
vers.
Driving and environment 197
- Always adjust your speed and handling
to the roads, terrain, traff ic and weather
conditions. Drive especially slow if off­ road with low visibility.
- Please note that the wheels can spin and
the vehicle can break away when the ESC
Offroad Mode is switched off, especially
when the road is slippery .
- Driving stability is reduced in the ESC
Offroad mode .
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid harming the environment and take
nature into cons ideration.
(D Tips
Only drive where it is allowed and always
stay on the provided roads and paths.
Driver messages
Applies to vehicles : a ll road
There is only one right way to drive in difficult
conditions: slowly and with caution!
When dr iving offroad, observe the following:
... Never drive the vehicle i n terrain which is
not suitab le for the vehicle, or which ex­
ceeds your driv ing ski lls. Never take any un­
necessary risks!
... Drive slow ly and cautiously!
... Pay attention to the
ground clearance of
your vehicle! This may vary depending on the load and composition of the ground and
the environment. The driver is therefore re­
sponsible for deciding whether a veh icle can
handle a specific situation.
... Act ivate the
ESC -Offroad-Mode c::> page 18 7
as needed.
Difficult terrain
Never dr ive in areas that are not familiar to
you and drive slowly when offroad and be pre­
pared and expect the unexpected (e.g. pot­
holes, boulders, tree stumps, etc.)
To prevent the vehicle from bottoming and avo id damage to the underbody, you should
drive straight across severe bumps in the
IJII>
•
•

218 Check ing and filling
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of specially conditioned water and the
manufacturer's glycol-basedcoolant addi-
tive G13 antifreeze with ant icorrosion addi­
tives (50% for USA models; 60% for Canadian models) . This mixture both assures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­
ponents in the engine's cooling system from
corrosion and scaling.
It a lso raises the boil­
ing point of the coo lant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
pr opor tion of coolant add itiv e m ust be at
l eas t 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 ° F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
I f you must add coo lant, use a m ixture of wa­
ter and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant
addit ive with dist illed water is recommended.
_& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 212.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
-
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­mate conditions . This is especia lly impor­
tant if you live in a reg ion where the win­
ter is extreme ly cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember :
- We recommend us ing on ly coolant ad­
d itive G12 ++ or G13 for your vehicle.
This coolant addit ive is availab le at a u­
thorized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­ rosion protection. The resulting corro­
sion can cause a loss of coolant and se­
rious engine damage .
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Add ing radiator repa ir flu id may adverse ­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could resu lt in
damage not covered by your New Veh icle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
F ig . 1 85 Engine compar tmen t: Cover on the coo la n t
expans io n t ank
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment,
alwa ys read and h eed all
W ARNING S ~ ,& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 212.
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Turn off the ignition.
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the coo l­
ant expansion tank
c:> fig . 185, c:> page 214,
fig . 182.
With a cold engine, the coolant Iii>-

M N
~ co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N
N
;:;;
" 03
"'
Fi g. 186 Eng ine compartment: Cover on the brake flu ­
id reservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lwa ys read and heed a ll W ARN­
ING S c:> .&.. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 212 .
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:> fig. 186, <=> page 214,
fig . 182.
The brake flu id level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
left side
<::;> page 214 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light (U.S. models:~, Canadian
models: .) will come on
r:> page 15. Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete b rake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop and the cause co rrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
indicator light w ill illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
@ Tips
The brake f luid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover .
Checking and fillin g 221
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake flu id will also dec rease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservo ir can be d iff icult to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
i zed
Audi d ealer. Your dealer has t he correct
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING -.
-Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f luid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
spe cificat ion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e Standard 116.
Always check with yo ur authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct bra ke fluid. The correct type of
brake f luid is also indicated on the
brake f luid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong. This can seriously affect the effi­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. Th is cou ld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

236 Tires a nd whee ls
If you wish to improve comfort See the illustration ¢ fig. 189
when operating the vehicle at for the location of the label on
normal load (up to 3 occu -driver's side B-pillar (color of
pants), you can adjust tire the actual label and exact loca-
pressures to those specified tion on the vehicle will vary
for normal vehicle load. Before slight ly) .
operat ing the vehicle at maxi -Note that the following table is
mum load, you must increase accurate a t the time of going to
the ti re pressures to those press and is subject to change .
specified for maximum vehicle In the event of discrepancies ,
load¢&. the tire p ressure labe l is locat-
Bear in mind that the tire pres- ed on the driver's side 8-pi llar
sure monitoring system* can a lways takes precedence .
on ly monitor the tire pressures
The table be low lis ts the rec -
you have sto red . The system
ommended cold tire inflation
does not recogn ize t he load
pressures for the Audi model
condition of your vehic le.
covered by your Owner's Li tera-
T he effect iveness of the tire ture at the veh icle's capac ity
p ressure mon itor ing system* weight and the tire sizes instal -
will be impaire d if you st ore led on the respect ive mode ls as
normal load press ures but then original eq uipment, or as a fac -
operate the vehicle at its max i- tory optio n.
...
mum load¢&.