2016 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

..... N
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

..... 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 ..... ..... 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

Driving and th e en vironm ent
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
.,. Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regu larly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ically . The condition of
your veh icle not only affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fu el consump­
tion .
C he ck your oil e ach t ime you fill you r ta nk .
The amount of oil used is re lated to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumpt ion of a new en­
g ine to reach its lowest val ue afte r a certa in mile­
age has been driven .
You must d rive you r vehicle about 3 ,000 miles
(5,000 k ilome ters) before you can p roperly as ­
sess o il cons umption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
outpu t.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in you r Warranty
& Maintenance book ­
l et . La ck of p roper main tenance as well as
i mproper use of the vehicle will impa ir the
f u nct ion of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not al ter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­ proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter or remove any device, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other i mportant vehicle components.
188
· Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
eng ine .
T he eng ine and catalytic converter have to reac h
their opt imal
operating temper atu re to reduce
fuel consumpt ion and noxious emiss ions effec­
tively .
Just after start ing, a cold engine in a mid-size car
on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km) . After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km) . After about
2 .5 m iles (4 km), the engine is
at its proper operating temperatu re and fuel
economy has reached a no rma l level. So you can
see that you should avoid sho rt tr ips wheneve r
possible .
The
out sid e temperatur e is also cr it ica l in th is re­
gard. Your car cons umes more fue l in the winter
than in the summer.
allroad: Driving offroad
General information .
App lies to vehicles : allroad
When dr iving offroad, the functions for the elec­
tronic stabilization co ntrol (ESC) are expanded .
The ESC-Offroad-Mode ca n be activated in d riving
s ituations in which a wheel loc k or a d iffe rential
l ock f unct ion is needed ~
page 178. In addit ion,
you r A udi p rovides cont in uo us all whee l dr ive.
You r Audi i s how ever, not an offroad vehicl e.
Nev er dri ve the vehicl e in t errain whi ch i s not
suitable for the vehicl e, or whi ch exce ed s your
driving skills . Nev er take any unnece ssary ri sk s!
Afte r driving offro ad
- After driving offroad, remove branches and
other deb ris from the rad iator g rille , under­
body, and wheels. Look especially fo r objects
(s tones) that have been caught in the tire
t read.
- Clean the body and the ve hicle unde rbody and
inspect the ve hicl e for possible damages.
IJI>

..... 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.