2016 AUDI A4 light

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0 ::..:: co ..... ..... Starting ability is marked ly improved and the life
of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
bat ­
t e ry di agno sis, idl ing curr ent mana gement
and
dy namic en ergy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuous ly determines the
state of the batte ry . Sensors dete rm ine battery
voltage, batte ry current and battery tempera­
ture . This determ ines the current state of charge
and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con­
sumpt io n while the veh icle is stand ing . With the
i gn it ion sw itched off, it controls the energy sup­
p ly to the various ele ctrical components . Data
from battery diagnosis is considered.
D epending on the battery's state of charge, ind i­
vid ual consume rs a re gradually turned off to p re­
vent excessive discharge of the battery and thus
maintain starting capability.
Dynam ic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy
management dist ributes the ene rgy generated
accord ing to the needs of the individual compo ­
nents . It regulates cons umption, so that mo re
e lectrica l energy is not being used than is being
generated and ensures an optimal state of
charge for the battery.
@ Tips
- But even energy management cannot neg­
ate the limits of physics. Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, the indica­
tor light
(•j appears 9 page 16.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining start­
ing capability.
The ba tte ry is severely taxed in short -d istance
driving, in city traffic and d uring the co ld time of
year. Abundant electrical energy is requ ired, but
Intellig ent Technology
on ly a little is generated . It is a lso critical if the
engine is not running and electrical components
are turned on. In this instance energy is being
consumed but none is being generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you will no ­
tice energy management actively regulating the distribution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do no t drive your vehicle ove r a period of
severa l days o r weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumption and maintains starting ca ­
pability over a longer period. Some of the con­
venience functions may not operate, such as the interior lights or the power seat adjustment. The
convenience functions will be ava ilable aga in
when you switch on the ignition and start the en­
gine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the rad io, for example, with the
engine turned off or use other MMI funct ions,
the battery is being d ischarged .
If starting capab ility is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the MMI dis­
play . The message ind icates that the system will
be switched off automat ica lly in a moment . If
you w ish to continue using the funct ions, you
have to sta rt the eng ine.
With the engine running
Although e lectr ical energy is generated when the
vehicle is being driven, the battery can become
discharged. This happens mostly when little en­
ergy is being generated and a great dea l con­
s u med and the batte ry's state of charge is not
optimal.
T o bring the energy balance back into equilibr i-
um, consumers w hich require espec ia lly large
amounts of ene rgy are tempo rar ily cut back o r
swi tched off . Hea ting systems in particular re-
quire a great de al of energy. If yo u no tice, fo r ex­
amp le, that the heated seats * or the heated rear
window are not heating, they have been tempo ­
rarily cut bac k or switched off. These systems will .,..
183

Intelligent Technology
be ava ilab le aga in as soon as the energy balance
has been restored.
You will a lso not ice tha t engine idle speed has
been inc reased slightly. This is normal and not a
cause for concern. By increasing eng ine idle
speed the additiona l energy required is generat ­
ed and the battery is cha rged .
184

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0 ::..:: co ..... ..... on necessary precautions e.g. co rrosion preven­
tion, maintenance and storage . Pay attention to
addit ional information concerning the battery .
Refer to
c::;, poge 212.
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels.
F ue l economy, environmenta l impact, and we ar
on your engine, brakes and tires la rgely depend
on three factors :
- you r persona l dr iving sty le
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can eas ily cut your fue l
consumption by
10-15 percen t. This section will
g ive you some tips on how you can help the envi ­
ronment and yo ur pocketbook .
(!) Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not cor re­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will va ry depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and wea ther condi tions,
t rip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
" Avoid unnecessary accelerating a nd braking .
Veh icles use the most fuel when they are acceler ­
ating . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next , you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
e rate less . let the vehicle coast wheneve r possi ­
b le -fo r example when yo u see that the next traf­
fic light is red .
Driving and the envir onment
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
"Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed.
Acce lerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­
ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproport ionately 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 limit and weather cond itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is jus t idling it burns up fuel.
" Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
" Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the en-
gine run at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at railroad cross ings, or at traff ic lights that have long waits
on red . Turning the engine off for just
30 -40 sec ­
onds saves more f uel than is burned starting the
. . engine again.
It takes a long time for the eng ine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially h igh when
the engine is warming up . So yo u should dr ive
away as soon as you start the eng ine and avoid
runn ing at high rpms w hile the engine is st ill
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave eng ine idling unattended after
s tart ing. If wa rning lights sho uld come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded . Extended idling also prod uces
heat, which could resu lt in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
187

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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.
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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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0 ::..:: co ..... ..... Care and cleaning
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
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when was h­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- A fter washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice i n the winter. The brakes
must be dried first w it h a few careful brake
applications.
{U) Note
- If you wash the ve hicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior m irrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exte rior m irrors* must on ly
be fo lded in and out us ing the power folding
f u nct io n.
- T o p revent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in di rect sunlight. -
To red uce the risk of damage to the s urface,
do not use insect removing sponges, k itchen
sponges o r similar items .
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Neve r use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he veh icle in facili ties spec ially de­
s igned for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r cont am ina ted with o il from
en te ring the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clean ing and ca ring for ind ividua l vehicle
com ponents, refer to the fo llow ing tables. The
i n fo rmat ion conta ined there is s imply recom­
mendations. For ques tions or for components that are
not listed, cons ult an autho riz ed Aud i
dealer or au thor ized A udi Servi ce Fac ility. Also
f o llow the informa tion fo und in ¢ .&, .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 55, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights
/ Tail
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona>
lights
Sensors /camera
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solut ion
lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol-free cleaning so lu-
tion
Snow/ice H
and br ush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dus t Acid
-free special clean ing solu tion
E x haust tail pipes Road salt Water, clean ing solution su itab le for stainless stee l, if nee -
essary
Decorative parts / Deposits Mild soap so
lution al, a cleaning so lution suitable for stain-
t rim less stee l, if necessary
194