2016 AUDI A4 warning

Inte llig ent Techn olo gy
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating. EDL will switch on aga in automati­
cally when conditions have returned to normal.
St eer ing r ecomm endation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by chang ing
the steering torque .
I n vehicles with dynamic steering*, ESC also
helps to stabilize the stee ring in critical situa­
tions.
Electron ic inter axle differential lock*/
sel ective whe el t orque control *
The electronic interaxle differentia l lock (front
wheel drive) or the selective wheel torque control
(a ll whee l drive) operates when driving through
curves . The front wheel on the inside of the curve
or both wheels on the inside of the curve are
braked selectively as needed. This allows more
precise driving in curves. The applicable system
may not activate when driving in wet or snowy
conditions.
.,&. WARNING
- The ESC and its in tegrated systems canno t
overcome the laws of phys ics. This is espe­
c ially important on slippery or wet roads.
If
the systems begin acting to stabilize your
Switching on /off
vehicle, you should immediately change
your speed to match the road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of
a loss of vehicle control, collision and seri­
ous personal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions. The risk of los ing con­
trol of the vehicle increases when driving
too fast, espec ially through curves and on
slippery o r wet roads, and when driving too
close to vehicles up ahead . The ESC and its
integrated systems cannot always prevent
collisions -there is still a risk of accidents!
- Always accelerate with specia l care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even with these assistance
systems that cannot always help to reduce
the risk of loss of vehicle control.
@ Tips
- ABS and ASR only work correct ly when all
four wheels are equipped with identical
t ires. Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc­
t ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 173 Version A: lower center console,~ OFF button
The ESC is des igned to function in levels. Depend­
i n g on the level tha t is selected, the stabilization
function of the ESC is limited or switched off. The
178
Fig. 174 Version B: upper center console,~ OFF button
amount of stabilization contro l w ill diffe r de­
pending on the level.
"' N N N ~ 0:, m

..... N
0 ::..:: co ..... ..... The following situations are exceptions where it
may be useful to switch on sport mode (Sedan)
or offroad mode (allroad) to allow the wheels to
spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving i n deep snow or on loose gro und
Sedan : ESC levels
Intellig ent Technology
- Driving with snow chains
- allroad: Dr iv ing o n ro ugh te rra in when much of
the car's weight is lifted off the whee ls (axle ar­
tic ulation)
- allroad: Dr iv ing down hill while brak ing on loose
gro und
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or
ESC/ASRon
Behavi or
The ESC and ASR stabili za- The stabilization funct io n is The f ull stabilization f unc -
t ion f unct ions are lim ited not avai lab le
~ &. . ESC and tion of the ESC and ASR is
~ &. . ASR are switched off . avai
lab le aga in.
Op eration Press the!.$ OFFI button Press and hold the!.$ OFFI Press the!.$ OFFI button
briefly . button longer than 3 sec- aga in .
o nds.
Ind icato r II turns on. fl and It'll•)~~ turn on. II turns off or II and
lights It'll•)~~ turn off.
D river me s-Stabilization contr ol (ES C): Stabilization cont rol (ESC ): S tabilization control
s age s Sport. Warning! Re stricted off. W arning! Restricted (ESC
): On
s tability stabilit y
all road: ESC levels
Offroad mode on Offroad mode off
Behavio r
The ESC and ASR stabilization f unctions The fu ll stabiliza tion f unction of the ESC
are limited
¢ & .
Operation Press the I.$ OFF I button .
In d icato r fl turns on .
light s
Driv er me s- Stabi lization control (E SC): Offro ad .
sage s Warning! Re stri cted stabili ty
It is only possible to turn off the ASR up to 30
mph (50 km/h) for vehicles w it h front wheel
drive. At about 45 mph (70 km/h) it automatical­
l y turns on again. It is possible to turn off the
ASR at any speed for vehicles with all whee l
drive.
A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode/offroad mode on or switch ESC/ ASR off if your dr iv ing
abilities and road conditions perm it .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode/offroad mode is switched on .
The driving wheels could sp in and the veh i-
-
and ASR is avai lable again.
Press the I.$ OF FI button aga in .
II turns off.
Stabilizat ion control (ESC ): On
cle could swerve, espe cially on s lick o r slip­
pery road surfaces.
- Sed an: There is no veh icle stabili zation
when ESC/ASR are switched off .
(D Tips
ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode/offroad mode cannot be swi tched on
when cru ise cont rol or adapt ive cr uise con ­
tro l* is switched on.
179

Intelligent Technology
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the firs t 25 0 miles (400 km), new b rake
pads do not possess their full braking effect , they
have to be "broken i n" first ¢& . You can com­
pensate for this slight ly reduced braking power
by push ing harder on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking loads during the break-in period .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles a re still sub ­
ject to wear, depend ing largely on ope rating con ­
ditions and driving habits¢& . On vehicles that
are either dr iven most ly in stop-and-go city traf­
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by you r authorized Aud i dea ler more of­
ten than spec ified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Failu re to have your brake pads
i n spected c an resu lt in reduced bra ke pe rform­
ance.
O n steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking ef ­
fect of the eng ine . This way, you prevent unnec­
es sary wear on t he b rake system. If yo u m ust use
your b rake s, d o not hold the brakes down cont in­
uously. Pum p th e b rakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when brak ing depend ing on the
speed, b raking force and outs ide cond it ions such
as tempe ra tu re and humidi ty.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain s ituations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, afte r ove rnig ht con ­
densat ion or after washing your car, the b raking
effect can be reduced by mo isture or ice on the
b rake rotors and b rake pads . T he brakes must be
d ried first w ith a few careful b rake a pplica tions.
At highe r speeds and with t he windsh ield wipers
tur ned on, the br ake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a sho rt amoun t of time. This occur s at
regular intervals w it h out t he dr iver noticing and
p rov ides for better bra ke response time under
wet conditions.
180
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road
and t he b rakes are not used . Likewise, yo u clean
off accum ulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few caut ious app lications of the
brake ¢& .
Corrosi on
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on
the b rake pads and corrosion to form on the discs
i f the car is not driven regu larly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes .
If the bra kes are not used frequent ly, or if corro­
s ion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed ¢ &.
Faults in th e brake system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel , then one of t he two brake circu its
may have failed¢& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfu nctions can occu r in the brake system if the
br ake fluid level is too low . The brake fluid leve l
is mo nitored electronica lly .
Brake booster
The bra ke booster i ncreases the press ure t hat
yo u ge nera te with the brake ped al.
It works only
whe n the eng ine is ru nning .¢ &
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wea r may be c hecked by visua l in­
spection o f the condition of the brake pads
t hr ough t he openings in t he wheel. If necessary,
t h e wheel m ay be removed fo r thi s inspe ction
¢ page 240, Replacing wheel s.
_& WARNING
- New brake pads don't have the be st sto p­
ping power and m ust be " broken-in" du ring
the initial 250 miles (400 kilometers). You
can compensate for this by p ressing the
brake pedal more firmly. This also app lies
later w hen new pads are installed.

..... N
0 ::..:: co ..... ..... -You should perform braking maneuvers for
the p urpose of clean ing the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk - you may
cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transm iss io n into a lower
gear or lowe r d riv ing range. Do not ride the
bra kes or hold the pedal down too long or
t oo often. This could ca use the bra kes to get
hot an d diminish brak ing efficiency.
- Do not "r ide t he b rakes" by resting your foot
on the pe dal when yo u do not inten d to
br ak e. This may cause the br akes to over­
heat, p remat ure wea r and increased stop ­
ping distance.
- Under certa in climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing thro ugh water, driving
in heavy ra in or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re ­
duced. In w inte r, ice can acc umulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care­
fully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings w ill be cleaned off after a
few careful b rake applica tions.
- Driv ing for an ex tended period of time on
salt-covered roads witho ut using your
bra kes can also affe ct bra king efficie ncy .
C le an off a ccumula ted s alt co ating from
bra ke discs and pads with a few caref ul
bra ke app lications.
- If you dam age the fro nt sp oiler, or if yo u in­
st all a diff erent spoi le r, be sure the ai r flow
to the front brakes is not obstr ucte d. Othe r­
wise the bra ke system could overheat reduc ­
ing the e ffectiveness of the entire b rake sys­
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
brak ing capability resulting in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop.
- Never let the veh icle roll to a stop w ith the
engi ne shut off .
-If the brake booster is not working, the
bra ke pedal m ust be pressed conside rably
harder to make up for the lac k of booster
assista nee .
Intellig ent Technology
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The ele ctro-mechanical power a ssist helps the
driver when steering .
P ower s teer ing adapts electronically based on
t h e veh icle spee d.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Do
not continue driving. See your author ized
Audi dealer or a qualified repair facility for assis­
tance.
' :r, y Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue d riving
If the indic ator l igh t turns on and the message
appe ars, the steering may be more diffic ult to
move o r more sensitive than usu a l. T he steering
whee l may a lso be at an angle w hen d riving
straight .
Drive slowly to you r autho rized Audi dea le r or
qualified wo rks hop to have the malfunction cor­
rected .
,T u Dynamic steering: initializing
If this drive r message appea rs and t he indicator
li ght is flashing on t he instrument pane l, dynam­
ic s teer ing* is being re ini tialized. After s tarting
t h e engine, t he steer ing w heel w ill move sligh tly.
Re- ini tializa tion might be necessary if the s teer ­
ing wheel was moved hard to the left a nd right
whi le the vehicle was not moving . The display
goes out as soon as initialization is comp lete.
A WARNING ~
Have the dynam ic steeri ng* system malfunc -
tion repaired as soon as poss ible by an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop -
r isk of acc ident!
181

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 ..... ..... Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1 ,000 kilometer s):
"' Do not use full throttle .
"' Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than
2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to 1 ,500
kilometers):
"' Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum pe rm issib le road or engine speed .
During and after break-in pe riod
"' Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold. This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
"'Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any c ircumstances.
"'U pshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
ing the red area at the end of the tachometer
sca le
c=>page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the eng ine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in . How well this
b reak-in process is done depends to a considera­
b le exte nt on the way the veh icle is d rive n during
t he first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high eng ine speeds a re au toma ti­
cally reduced. However, these rpm limits are
programme d for a n engine well run-in, not a
new engine.
@) For the sake of the environment
D o not dr ive with u nnecessari ly high eng in e
spee ds -ups hifting ea rly saves fuel, reduces
noise and pro tec ts the envi ronme nt.
Driving and the envir onment
New tires
If your vehicle is runn ing on new tires, d rive very
car efu lly fo r the firs t 35 0 miles (500 kilometers)
a ft er fit ting.
New tires tend to be slippe ry and must a lso
be "bro ken-in". Be sure to remembe r th is dur­
i ng the fi rst 350 m iles (500 kilometers).
Brake gent ly. Avoid following closely behind
other vehicles or other s ituations that m ight
r equire sudden, hard b raking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When yo u are dr iv ing o n poor roa ds, or over
cur bs, stee p ramps, e tc., ma ke cert ain that low­
ly ing parts s uch a s spo ile rs a nd exh aust sy stem
parts do no t bottom o ut and get dama ged.
T his is espec ially true for ve hicles with low-s lung
c h ass is (sports c hass is) * and fully loaded
vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note t he following to avoi d ve hicle damage w hen
driv ing through water, for examp le on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any hig her t han the bot ­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faste r than walk ing speed.
A WARNING
= -
Afte r driv ing th ro ugh water, m ud, slush, etc .,
the brakes may be slow to take effect beca use
of wet brake rotors and pa ds. Dry the brakes
f irst by braking carefully to restore the full
b raking effect.
(D Note
Ve hicle compone nts such as the engine,
transmission, suspension o r electrica l system
can be severely damaged by driving throug h
water.
185

Driving and th e en vironm ent
(D Tips
- Check the depth of the water before driving
through it .
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine
off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your veh icle to drive
through safely.
- Avoid driving through salt water because it
can cause corrosion .
Catalytic converter
It is very impor tant tha t your emission con trol
system (ca talytic converter) is functioning prop ­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
~ Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 198,
Fuel supply .
~ Never run the tank down a ll the way to empty .
~ Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 20 7, 9::?l Adding engine oil .
~ Never try to push- or tow-start you r vehicle.
The cata lytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
dev ice bu ilt into the exha ust system of the vehi­
cle. The cata lytic conve rter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re ­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critica lly im­
portant for the life of the catalytic conve rter and
p roper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING ,..____ -
- The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or ope rate t he vehicle in areas
where t he hot exha ust system may come in
contact with dry grass, br ush, fue l spill or
other mater ial which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani-
186
fold, exha ust pipes, cata lytic conve rter or
heat shields . D uring driving, the substance
used for undercoat ing could overheat and
cause a f ire .
Cl) Note
-Be aware that just one tank f illing wit h
leaded fu e l w ill already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 207.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis­
fire. Unbu rned fue l cou ld also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ign ition while the vehicle
is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherw ise fuel can
reac h the catalytic converter . T hi s could re ­
sult in overheat ing of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement.
- T o ass ure eff icient ope rat ion of the Emis­
sion Contro l System:
- Have you r vehicle maintained properly and
i n accordance wit h the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty & Ma intenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper ma intenance as well as im­
p roper use of the veh icle will impa ir 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 op­
erating properly, t he exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. Th is depends on the sulfur
con tent of the fuel being used . Us ing a d iffer­
ent brand of fuel may help , or fi lli ng the tank
wi th lead-free super g rade g asoline.
Shutting down vehicle
If you wo uld like yo ur vehicle to remain inopera­
tive for a longer pe riod of time, con tact an Audi
o r other spec ia liz ed dealer. They can adv ise you ..,.

..... 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