2016 AUDI A4 warning light

Intelligent Technology
(D Tips
- If the . or
,~ n ind icator light only stays on
fo r a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems are
not available in the event of a system mal­
funct ion.
- Fo r additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to¢
page 111 .
Driving with your
quattro
Applies to veh icles: w ith all-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With all-whee l drive, power is distributed to all
four wheels . This happens automatically depend­
ing on your dr iv ing style and the road condit ions
at the time . See also ¢
page 177 .
A center differentia l distrib utes the driv ing power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­ gether with selective wheel torque control, which
activates when driving through curves
¢
page 178 . With the sport differentia l*, power
d istr ibut io n to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adj usted w ith d rive select¢
page 111.
The all -wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your veh icle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under normal dr iv ing condit io ns and on
snow and ice. Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions ¢
A.
Winter tires
When d rivi ng in the winter, your vehicle with all­
wheel drive has an advantage, eve n with regular
tires. In winter road conditions it may be adv isa­
b le to mount w inte r ti res (or all-season tires) fo r
improved driveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on all four wheels . See a lso
¢ page 232, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where ti re chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this norma lly also applies to vehicles w ith
all -whee l drive ¢
page 233, Snow chains .
182
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles with all-wheel d rive must a lways have
tires of the same size. Also avoid t ires with differ ­
ent tread depths. For detai ls see page
¢ page 224, New tires or wheels .
Off-Road driving?
You r A udi does not have eno ugh ground clear­
an ce to be used as an off-road vehicle.
It is there­
fore best to avoid ro ugh tracks and uneven ter ­
rain as much as possib le. Also refer to
¢ page 185.
A WARNING
A lways adjust your dr iving to road and traffic
conditions . Do not let the extra safety afford­
ed by all-whee l drive tempt you into taking
extra risks .
- Although the all-wheel drive is very effec­
tive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by ti re tract ion. You s hou ld there­
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippe ry road s urfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be­
gi n to slide on top of the water (aquaplan­
ing) . If th is should occur, you will have no
warning from a s udden increase in engine
speed as with a front-wheel drive vehicle.
Always drive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of crash .
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus optimizes the availa­
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long period of time, the batte ry is
discharged by id ling current consumers (e.g . im­
mobilizer). In ce rtain circumstances it can resu lt
i n the re being insufficient energy avai lab le to
start the engine .
Intelligent energy management in yo ur vehicle
hand les t he d istribution of elect rical energy. .,.

..... N
0 ::..:: co ,...., -Clean off the dirty windows, headlights, tail
lights and the license plate .
- Perform a brake test (especially after dr iving
t h rough water) .
& WARNING
-Be espec ially aware and attentive when driv­
ing under difficult conditions. Damages to
the vehicle and injuries may occur when
dr iv ing at an excessive ly high speed or w ith
incorrect dr iving maneuvers.
- Always adjust your speed and handling to
the roads, terrain, traffic and weather con­
ditions. Drive especially slow if offroad wit h
low v is ibility.
- Please note that the wheels can spin and
the vehicle can break away when the ESC
Off road Mode is switched off, especia lly
w he n t he roa d is slippery.
- Driv ing stabi lity is reduced in the ESC Off­
road mode.
@) For the sake of the environment
Avoid harming the environme nt and take na­
ture into conside ra tion .
(D Tips
Only drive where it is allowed and always stay
on t he p rovided roads and paths.
Driver messages
App lies to vehicles: allroad
There is only one right way to drive in difficult
conditions: slowly and with caution!
When driving offroad, observe the fo llowing:
.. Never dr ive the veh icle in te rrai n which is not
s ui tab le for the vehicle, o r which exceeds your
driving skills. Never ta ke any unnecessary risks!
.. Drive slowly and ca utiously!
.. Pay attention to the
ground clearance of yo ur
vehicle! This may vary depending on the load and compos it io n of the ground and the environ­
me nt. The driver is therefore responsible for
deciding whether a vehicle can handle a specif ic
s itu atio n.
Driving and the envir onment
.. Activate the ESC-Offroad-Mode ¢ page 178 as
needed .
Difficult terrain
Never dr ive in areas t hat are not fam ilia r to you
and dr ive slow ly when off road and be prepare d
and expect the unexpected (e .g. potho les, bould­
ers, t ree stumps, etc.)
T o p reve nt the vehicle from bottom ing and avoid
damage to t he un derbody, you shou ld dr ive
straight ac ross seve re bumps in the ground w ith
on ly one side of the vehicle so tha t on ly two of
your whee ls cross the bumps .
Dr ive quickly th ro ugh sandy o r m ars hy off road
sections and do not stop, if at all possible .
Driving through water on roads
Read the informa tion on ¢ page 185.
189

Trailer mod e
Trailer mode
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Tr aile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your veh icle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check w ith the t rail­
er hitch man ufact urer to make su re that you are
using the co rrect hitch .
Do not use a bump er hit ch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From t ime to t ime, check that a ll hitch mount ing
bolts rema in securely fastened.
When you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from caus ing damage shou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind ¢
,&..
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
190
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between you r vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
r ec t wiring , switches, and relays.
M irrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outs ide mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
- If a tra ile r has e lectr ica l brakes p lease no te
t hat these brakes are not activated by the
factory-fit ted contro l unit -risk of accident!
'
- After removing the trai ler hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch co uld fly forward and in ­
jure you or yo ur passengers.
Operating instructions
Ma ximum traile r we ight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held securely in
place to p revent i t from shifting forward, back ­
ward or sideways.
Nev er allow a pa ssen ger to rid e in a trailer ¢ &.
in Driving instructions on page 191.
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra iler makes the engine work harder . It
i s important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cool ing system has enoug h fluid.

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Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra ile r, infl ate the tires of yo ur
ve hicl e to the co ld tire press ure listed under "Fu ll
l oad" on the label located on the driver's side B­
pi llar (visib le when th e door is open). Inflate
tra ile r tir es to t railer and tire manufacture rs'
specifications.
Light s
The headlight settings should be checked wi th
the trai ler attached before driv ing
off . Check to
make sure both veh icle and trai ler lights are
wo rking prope rly .
Safety chains
Be s ure trai ler s afety chains are p ro p erly conne ct­
ed from the trailer to the hitc h on the vehicle .
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they w ill not drag on the road when yo u are
driving.
The chains s hou ld cross under the t railer tongue
to p revent it from dropp ing in case of separat ion
from t he hitc h.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra core
and consideration.
To ob tain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing :
.,. Do no t tow a lo ad ed t railer w hen yo ur car i tse lf
i s not lo ad ed.
.,. Be especia lly caref ul when passing ot he r
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Moni to r th e temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
T owing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds o nly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
Trailer mode
A "ba lanced" rig is easier to opera te and co ntrol.
This means that the tow vehicle sho uld be loaded
to the extent possib le and permissib le, w hile
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
cir cumstances . Wheneve r poss ib le, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow ve hicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loa ding consi de rations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icult it be­
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at t he max imum permissib le speed. Reduce
you r sp eed even more if load, weathe r or wind
cond it ions are u nfavo rab le -pa rticularly when
go ing down hill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightes t sign of sway ing .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits . In some a reas, speeds fo r
vehicles towing trailers are lower tha n for regular
vehicles .
Always apply bra kes early . When d riving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the e ngine
braki ng effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overhea t and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coo lant tempe rature gauge c:> page 10 m ust
be obse rved caref ully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­
me diate ly and/or t urn
off th e a ir cond it io ne r .
If the coolant temperat ure warning light . in
t h e instr ument cluster starts flashing, pull
off
the road, stop and let the engine idle for about
two m inu tes to pre vent heat build -u p .
A WARNING ,.__ -
A nyone not prope rly restr ained in a moving
ve hicl e is at a m uch grea te r risk in an a cci ­
d ent. Never le t anyon e ride in your car w ho is
n o t pr ope rly we arin g th e res tra ints p ro vid ed
by Au di .
191

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General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your authorized Audi dealer. Read and fol­ l ow the instructions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
-Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of chi ldren to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning .
@) For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the vehicle,
the mor e the surface may b e damaged . High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damag ing effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water .
S tu bborn depos its s uch as bird d roppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth.
A lso , wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially importa nt in regard to the pressu re and
sp raying distance . Do no t aim the sp ray directly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
l uggage compartment lid or the sunroof * or at
Ca re and cleaning
ti res, rubber hoses, insulating mate rial, sensors *
or camera lenses* . Keep a distance of at least
40.64 cm (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rota ry nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles.
T he water temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60
°().
Automat ic car wa she s
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make s ure that the windows and roo f* are closed
and the windshield wipers are off . Follow instruc ­
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing
by hand
Clean the ve hicl e starting from the top and wor k­
i ng down using a soft sponge o r cleaning br ush.
U se solvent -free cleaning produ cts.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by
hand
T o avo id damag ing the pa int w hen washing, fi rst
remove dust and large par ticl es from you r vehi­
cle . Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he product using a microf iber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicl e thoroug hly w ith wate r. Then
cl ean usi ng a neutral shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth .
Rinse the ve hicle thorough ly aga in and let it air
dry. Remove any wate r residue using a sham my.
- On ly wash the vehicle when the ign ition is
off and follow the instr uctions from the car
193

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Te xtil es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
a rt ifici al le ather , the surface
Alcant ara Water-based deposits Absorben
t cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution a), blot away the dissolved oil or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, na il polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natural leather Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap so
lutiona)
Water-based deposits fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, d ried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh staiins: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. dried stains: oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitab le for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la -
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Ca re Regularly apply cond ition ing cream that protects from
light and penet rates into the materia l. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablesp oons of neutral soap in 1 quart (l liter) of water
_& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un­
favorable conditions s uch as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare .
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
(D Note
- Headlights/tail light s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Wheels
196
-
- Never use any paint polish or other abra­
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors /camera lenses
- Neve r use wa rm or ho t wa ter to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could cause the lens to crack .
- N eve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clea n the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Doo r window s
-Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plast ic scraper. To

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Checking and Filling Hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle.
Fig. 179 Driver's side footwell: engine hood re lease lever
... ~ - -
Fig. 1 80 Release lever under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that
the windshield wipers are flat against the w ind­
shie ld. Otherwise, they could damage the paint
on the hood.
.. Wi th the driver's door open, pu ll the leve r un­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ¢
fig. 179 .
.. Raise the hood slightly¢&.
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢fig . 180. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of be ing burned, never
open t he hood if yo u see or hear steam or
coolant esca ping from the eng ine compart­
me nt. Wait unt il no s team or coolant ca n be
Checking and Filling
seen or hea rd before carefully opening the
hood.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from the
struts is reduced.
"' Le t the hood
drop down and latch in p lace. Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fail to engage
¢ &, .
A WARNING
A hood that i s not comple tely latched co uld
fly up a nd blo ck your view while driv ing.
- W hen you close the engine hood, check it to
ma ke sure the s afety catch h as prope rly en­
ga ged. The hood should be flush with t he
surroundi ng ve hicl e body pa rts.
- If you no tic e while driv ing t hat t he hoo d is
not secured properly, stop at once and close
it.
Working in the engine compartment
Be e specially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
-
Whenever you mu st perform an y work in the
engine compartment, for example checking and
filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burn s and a ccidents. To prevent per sonal injury
always observe the following WARNINGS. The
eng ine compa rtment of any vehicle is a hazard ­
ous area
¢ .&. .
A WARNING
-~
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
th ing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key .
- Apply the par king brake.
- Move selector leve r of autom atic t ransm is-
sion to "P" (Park); put manual transm ission
in Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down. Ho t com ­
ponents w ill bur n skin on contact .
203

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Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 181 Typical layout for containers and e ngin e oil fille r cap
(D Eng ine o il filler cap ( @ Jump start po int(+) under a cover
@ Brake fluid reservoir
((0) ...... .
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) .... .
® Jump start point( -) with hex head 207
214,251
211 210
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214, 251
@ Windshield/headlight* washer con-
tainer
(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
The position of the engine oil filling hole
c:> fig. 181 (item @) can differ depending on the
engine design .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l change . We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
table .
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
205