2015 AUDI S4 brakes

188 Intelligent technology
allroad: ESC level s
Offroad mode on Offroad mode off
Behavio r
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stabilization f unction of the ESC
are limited ¢& .
Op eration Press the I.a OFFI button .
Indicato r II turns on.
light s
Driver me s- Stabilization control (ESC) : Offroad .
s age s Warning! R est rict ed stabilit y
It is only possib le to turn off the ASR up to 30
mph (SO km/h) for veh icles with front whee l
d rive. At about 45 mph ( 70 km/h) it a utomat i­
cally turns on aga in . It is possib le to turn off
the ASR at any speed for vehicles with all
wheel drive.
A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode/off­
road mode on o r switch ESC/ASR off if your
driving abilities and road cond itions per­
m it .
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode/offroad mode is switched on. The d riving wheels could
spin and the vehicle could swerve, espe­
ci ally on s lick o r sli ppery ro ad sur faces.
- all road: You should o nly sw itch off road
mode on when driving offroad.
- Sedan: Th ere is no vehicl e stabiliza tion
w hen ESC/AS R are switched off .
(D Tips
ESC/ASR cannot be sw itched off or sport
mode/offroad mode cannot be switched
on when cru ise control or adapt ive cru ise
contro l* is sw itched on .
Braking
What affec ts braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km) , new
b rake pads do not possess their fu ll braking
effect, they have to be "broke n in" first ¢,& .
You can compensate fo r th is sligh tly redu ced and ASR is availab
le agai n.
Press t he
I.a OFF I button aga in.
II turns off.
Stabil izati on c ontrol (ESC ): On
braking powe r by p ushing harder on the bra ke
peda l. Avoi d heavy bra king lo ads dur ing the
break -in pe riod.
Operating conditions and driving habits
T he brakes o n today 's automobiles a re still
s u bject to wear, depe nding largely on ope rat­
i ng condi tions and driving habi ts¢ ,&. On
vehicles that are ei ther dr iven most ly in stop­
and -go city traffic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler mo re often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking
effect of the engine . This way, you prevent un ­
necessary wear on the brake system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuous ly. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Operating noi se
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, brak ing force and outside cond i­
t ions such as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for examp le afte r driving
t hr ough water, in heavy rain, after overnight
condensation or after wash ing your car, the
braking effect can be reduced by moisture o r
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads. The
brakes must be dr ied first wi th a few ca reful
brake applicat io ns.
At higher speeds and with the windsh ield wip-
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
ll>

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the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This occurs at regular intervals without the
driver noticing and provides for better brake response time under wet condit ions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. Likewise,
you clean
off accumulated sa lt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious ap­
plications of the brake
i:> ,& .
Co rrosion
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 dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little 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 brak ing
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
i:> ,& .
Fa ult s in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed
i:> ,& .
Low brak e flu id l eve l
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
leve l is monitored electronically .
Brake boo ste r
The brake boos ter increases the press ure that
you generate with the brake pedal. It works
only when the engine is running
. ¢ .&
Brake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wea r may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condi tion of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces ­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in­
spection
c> page 263, Changing a wheel .
Intellig ent technolog y 189
A WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "b roken -in" dur­
ing the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to
200 kilometers) of normal c ity dr iving .
You can compensate for this by pressing the brake pedal more firmly. This also
applies la ter when new pads are instal­
led.
- You should per form braking m aneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be p ut at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, p remature wear and increased
s topping distance .
- Unde r ce rtain climatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice coat­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions .
- Driving for an extended period of time o n
salt-cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
C lean
off accum ulated salt coa ting from
br ak e disc s and pad s wi th a few ca re ful
bra ke applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if yo u
install a diffe rent spoiler, be s ure the ai r
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed . Otherw ise the bra ke system could •
•

194 Driving and en vironm ent
8_ 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 braking effect.
(D 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 switc h the engine off when driving
t hr ough water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may c reate waves that raise the water
l evel and make it too deep fo r you r vehi­
cle to dr ive through safely.
-
- Avoid dr iving thro ugh salt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic conv ert er) is function ­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in on env ironm entally sound manner.
,,. Always use lead-free gaso line Q page 207,
Fuel supply .
,,. Never run the tank down a ll th e way to emp ­
ty.
,,. Never put too much moto r oil in your engine
Q page 216, ~ Adding engine oil .
,,. Never try to push -or tow -start your ve hicle .
T he cata lytic converter is an eff ic ient "clean­
up" device built in to the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the polluta nts in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphe re . The exclus
ive use of unleaded f uel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalytic conv ert­
er and p roper funct ion ing of the eng ine .
A WARNING
=
-The temperature of the exhaust system
is high, both when driving and after stop­
p ing the eng ine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle i n
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in co ntact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire .
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stp roofing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, cataly tic con­
ver ter or he at s hields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
CI) Note
- Be aware tha t just o ne tank filling with
leaded fu el w ill alre ady ser io usly de ­
grade the performance of the cata lytic
converter .
- Do not exceed the cor rect engine oil level
Q poge 216.
-Do not drive until the fuel t ank becomes
comple tely empty . The engine cou ld mis ­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
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 mov ing.
- Do not contin ue to ope rate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
co uld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis -
sion Control System: .,..

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-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.
•
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Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns .
Trailer towin g 199
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
¢ &. .
Safety chains
Alw ays use s afety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r lights m ust meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
fo r c orrec t w iri ng, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must insta ll ext ended mir ro rs. It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rear .
.8, WARNING
- If a trai ler has elec trica l br ake s plea se
no te th at t hese bra kes are not activat ed
by the fa ctory -fit ted control unit -risk of
accident!
- After removing the t railer hi tch, do no t
s to re it in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
brak ing, the hitch could fly fo rward and
in ju re you or yo ur passenge rs .
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r we ight
-
A trai ler fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the lo ad in the tra iler is h eld secure ly
i n p lace to p reven t it from shifting fo rward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ &. in Driving instru ctions on page 200.
Engine cooling system
T owing a t railer ma kes t he engine wor k hard ­
er . It is impo rta nt that the cooling system's
perfo rman ce is up to the additional load.
Make sure tha t the coo ling sys tem h as enough
f lu id . .,..
•
•

200 Trailer towing
Tire pressure
When towing a trai le r, inflate the tir es of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver 's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac ­
turers' specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before dr iving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and tra iler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safe ty cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave eno ugh slack in the chains to per ­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
cha ins, 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
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when 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 early.
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
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
steering control. A "ba
lanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
tro l. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keep ing the trai ler as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow veh icle while obse rving
tongue load requi rements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icu lt 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
whe n 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 c> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
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 •
i n the i nstrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
abo ut two minutes to prevent heat build-up .
_& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not p roper ly wea ring the restraints
provided by Audi.
-

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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 203
& WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter . The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions .
{[) Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the r isk of damage to
the mirrors . Power folding exterior m ir­
ro rs* must only be folded in and out us­
i ng the power folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct sunl ight. -
To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­ es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents :
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte fi nish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fi nish paint. The paint cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
are removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehi cle in facilities spec ial ly
designed for that purpose . This will red uce
the risk of dirty water contam inated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clean ing and caring for individua l vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab les .
The informa tion contained there is s imply rec­
ommendations. For questions or for compo- nents that are not listed
, refer to an author­
ized Audi dea ler or qua lified workshop. A lso
fol low the information fo und in ¢ ,&. .
Cleanin g exte rior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blade s
Dirty ¢ page 5 6, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Hea dlight s/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solution a>
t a il light s
Sen sors /
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
came ra lens es Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/so
lvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road sal t Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so
lution
Ex haust tail Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut io n suitable for sta inless steel, if
pipe s necessary
•
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Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N
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" 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 .