2017 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
-tiptronic does not work if the transmission
is running in emergency mode.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistance point, the automatic trans­
mission shifts down into a lower gear and the en­
gine utilizes its full power, depending on vehicle
speed and engine RPM. It shifts up into the next
higher gear once the maximum specified engine
RPM is reached .
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
Launch control program
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop.
Requirement: The engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned .
~ Deactivate the Start/Stop system* ¢ page 80.
The LED in the 10 ml button turns on.
~ With the engine running, press the ~l.i; -o~FF =! but­
ton briefly ¢
page 135. The II indicator light
turns on and the message
Stabilization control
(ESC): Sport. Warning! Restricted stability
ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display.
~ Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position or select the
Dynamic driving mode in drive select*
¢page 122.
~ Press the brake pedal firmly with your left food
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec­
ond.
~ At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal within
S seconds ¢
,&..
Driving
A WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
1 .$ OFFI button briefly to turn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The transmission temperature may increase
significantly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few minutes. It will be
available again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear.
Transmission malfunction
• Transmission: too hot. Please stop vehicle
Do not continue driving . Select the P selector lev­
er position and contact an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
• Transmission: malfunction! Please stop ve­
hicle and shift to P
Do not continue driving . Select the P selector lev­
er position and contact an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
@] Selector lever: malfunction! You may contin­
ue driving. Please contact Service
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .
[O] P button: malfunction! Auto P when engine
off. Please contact Service ..,.
87

Driving
There is a malfunction in the P button on these ­
lector lever. The transmission automatically en­
gages in P when you switch off the engine . Drive
to an author iz ed Audi deale r or author iz ed Audi
Serv ice Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
[iJ Transmission : m alfun ction ! Sel. le ver pos.
can only be changed using both paddle le vers.
Ple ase contact Service
There is a system malfunction in the transmis ­
sion. You can contin ue driving with restricted
function . The selector lever is not working. Gears
can only be selected by tapping both sh ift pad­
d les at the same time when the vehicle is station ­
ary ¢
page 86, fig. 85 . Pay attention to these­
lected transm ission position i n the instrument
cluste r display . The park ing lock engages au to­
mat ic all y w hen you t urn off the engine. Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or author ized A udi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
[iJ Transmi ssion : plea se pre ss brake pedal and
se lect gear again
Press the brake pedal and se lect the desired se­
lecto r leve r posit ion aga in. You can then continue
d riving.
[O] Transmi ssion : too hot . Plea se adapt dr iving
s tyle
The transm ission temperature has incre ased s ig­
n ificantly due to the sporty driving manner . Drive
i n a less sporty ma nner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the indicator light
sw itches of .
[O] Transmi ssion : malfunct ion! You can contin­
u e driving . See owner 's manual
There is a system malfunct ion in the transm is­
sion . You may continue dr iving . Drive to your au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility soon to have the malfu nction corrected .
[O] Transmission : malfunct ion! You ma y contin­
ue dri ving in D until engine off
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switching to emergency
mode. If you turn the engine off, you will not be
88
able to se lect any othe r se lector lever positions
after starting the engine again . Drive to an au­
thorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized Audi Service
Facility immediate ly to have the malfunction cor­
rected .
[iJ Transmission: malfunction! You ma y contin­
ue dr iving (limited functionality ). Please con­
tact Serv ice
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switching to emergency
mode. This mode only s hifts into certain gears or
will no longer shift at a ll. The eng ine may sta ll.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected .
[iJ Transmission: malfunction! You ma y contin ­
ue dr iving. No re verse gear
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
s ion. The transmission is switch ing to emergency
mode. This mode only s hifts into certain gears or
will no longer shift at a ll. The eng ine may sta ll.
You cannot engage the reverse gear . Dr ive to an
authorized Aud i dealer or a uth orized Aud i Serv ice
Facility immediate ly to have the malfunction cor­
r ected .
[iJ Danger of rolling away! P not possible .
Pl ea se apply park ing brake
- The parking lock was re leased us ing the emer ­
gency release¢
page 89. Or
- The parking lock can no longer be engaged.
Dr ive to an authori zed Audi dealer or author­
ized Aud i Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .
[iJ Move selector lever to automatic position
There is a ma lfunction in the tiptron ic mode . End
tiptronic mode by pus hing the selector lever to
the left into the D/S position .

Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle .
Fig. 86 Front cup holder: removing the cover
Fig. 87 Front cup holder : parking lock eme rge ncy release
~ 0
~ a, ID
The eme rgency re lease is located in the fron t cup
ho lde r under a cover
Releasing the parking lock using the
em ergency r ele ase
.. To prevent the vehicle from rolling unintention­
ally, set the parking brake<®>
c::>page 81 or
press the brake peda l.
.. Remove the rubber mat.
.. There is one slit open ing on the cover . Use the
screwdriver (from vehicle tool kit) to pry the
cove r off at the opening
c::> fig . 86 .
.. Inse rt the socket wrench (from the vehicle tool
k it) into the opening .
.,. Push and turn t he so cket w rench 90° until it
locks into place
c::> fig. 87 .
.. Leave the socket wrench inserted .
Resetting the parking lock
~ .. Pull the socket wrench out ve rtically c::> 0.
;:::: .. Reinsert the cover and rubber mat . ...... N ..... 0 0
~ co
Drivi ng
When the parking lock emergency release is
used, the
mJ indicator light and the N selector
l ever posit ion turn on in the instrument cluster .
The message
Da nger of rolli ng away ! P not po s­
sible. Please apply park ing bra ke
also appears.
A WARNING
-- Only activate the emergency release while
on a level surface or a slight slope.
- If you release the park ing lock us ing the
emergency release, secu re your vehicle with
the park ing b rake or the brake pedal if the
pa rking brake is not wo rking . T he veh icle
c a n roll away if it is not se cure d and cause a
crash.
(D Note
Do not tur n the socket wrench back when re­
setting the parking lock or else there is a risk
of damage.
89

Trailer towing
Trailer towing
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, econo­my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your veh icle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always che ck with the t rail ­
er hitch man ufac tur er to make s ure t hat you are
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
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 b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck that all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely f aste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hit ch
from caus ing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind ¢
,&..
Trailer brakes
If you r trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
90
The t rai ler hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
bra ke system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween you r vehi cle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regula tions . B e s ure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
r ec t wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see t he traffic behind you us­
i ng t he regular outs ide mirrors, then yo u
must in­
stall ex tended mirrors . It is impo rtant that you
al ways have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tc h, do not s tore
it i n y our vehicle. In case o f su dden brak ing,
the hitch could fly fo rward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra iler f or yo ur vehicle is lim ite d to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the t rai le r i s he ld se curely in
pla ce to p reve nt i t from shi fting forwar d, bac k­
ward or si deways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ¢ &.
in Driver messages on page 91.
Engine cooling system
Towi ng a tra iler makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure tha t
the coo ling system has enoug h fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire p ressure listed under "Full
load" on the t ire press ure label. The t ire pressure
1111-

label is located on the driver's side B-pillar. In­
f late trai ler tires to trailer and tire manufactur­
ers' specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the tra iler to the hitch on the vehicle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driver messages
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car results
in a high ly unstable dist ribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping th e trailer as light as possib le under the
circumstances . Whenever possib le, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle whi le observing tong ue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
<( conditions are unfavorable -particularly when a,
;::; going downhill. ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
Trailer towing
Reduce vehicle speed immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the eng ine
braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coolant temperature gauge~ page 11 must
be obse rved carefully. The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds . Reduce your speed
immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
play turn on.
For more information about indicator lights, re­
fer to.
~ page 31 .
A WARNING
= -
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the addit ional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your trailer and operate you r rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep pract ic ing until you have be­
come complete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
91

Trailer towing
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action oppos ite to that when backing up your
veh icle w ithout a trailer .
Maintain a g reater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You w ill need more
room to stop. To compensate for the tra iler, you
will need a larger than normal turn ing radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel ­
erate as fast as you norma lly would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your tra iler before chang ing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts , sharp turns or rapid lane
changes .
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break -in per i­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance d ue to the ex ­
tra load
~ page 363.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only o~er doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply t he foo t brake .
.. Have someone place chocks under both t he ve­
hicle and the tra ile r whee ls .
.. With chocks in p lace, slowly release t he brakes
u ntil the whee l chocks absorb the load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake .
.. Move the selector lever to P .
When restarting after pa rking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Start the engine .
.. Move the selector lever to D/S .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retrieve t he wheel
chocks .
92

Assist Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with t ires
that are rated for a maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the maximum speed
of your vehicle. To reduce the risk of sudden tire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operat­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electronic speed limiter . The electronic speed
limiter prevents your vehicle from going faster
than the t ire speed rating. For mo re information
¢page 317.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed s ignals, the Malfunction Indicator
L amp (M IL)
¢..ij will illuminate. If this occurs,
contact the nearest autho rized Audi dealer for
assistance.
_& WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust you r speed to suit prevailing road, traf­
fic and weather condit ions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than the max imum speed rating
of the tires installed.
Speed warning system
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay un­
der a specified maximum speed. -
The
speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have
stored . You will hear a warning tone when yo ur
speed exceeds the sto red va lue by approximate ly
3 mp h (3 km/h). The indi cator light also tur ns on
in the instrument cluster display
Eel (USA mod­
e ls)/
Hll (Canada mode ls) as well as the message
Manually set speed limit XXX mph (km /h ) ex­
c eeded .
The ind icator light [01 / (OJ turns off
when the speed decreases below the stored max­
imum speed.
Sett ing a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when you reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
A ss ist
to do so include driving in a co untry with a gener­
al speed limit or if there is a specified maximum
speed for winte r tires.
(D Tips
Regardless of t he speed warning system, you
s h ou ld always monitor your speed using the
speedometer and make s ure yo u are fo llow ing
the lega l speed limit.
Setting the warning threshold
Appl ies to : vehicles with speed warni ng system
You can set, change and delete the warning
threshold in the Infotainment system.
.,. Sele ct in the Infotai nment system: I MENU ! but­
ton
> Vehicle > left control b utton > Driver as­
sistance
> Speed warning > Manu al.
You can set a ny thresho ld between 20 mp h
(30 km/h) and lS0 mph (240 km/h) . Settings
can eac h be adjusted in increments of 5 mph (10
km/h).
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 15 mph (20kmlh).
0
f
~
0
Fig. 88 Operating lever: cru ise control system
.,. To switch t he system on, pull the lever into po­
sition
(D ¢ fig. 88.
.,. Drive at the speed to be maintained.
.,. To store the speed, press the button @.
93

Ass is t
The stored speed and the [ij;ji j~i4 (USA models)/
Ill (Canada mode ls) indicator light appear in the
instrument cluster disp lay . An add itiona l indica­
tor appears in the Head -up display*.
The speed is maintained by modifying engine power or through an active brake intervention.
A WARNING
- Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise control system is in op­
eration. You are always responsible for your
speed and the distance between your vehi­
cle and other veh icles .
- For safety reasons, cruise control should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traffic, on
winding roads and when road condit ions are
poo r (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and
hydroplaning), because t his increases the
risk of an accident.
- Switch the cruise cont rol off temporar ily
when d riving i n turn ing lanes, h ighway exits
or in construction zones .
- Please note tha t unconsciously "resting"
yo ur foot on the accelerator pedal prevents
the cruise control from braking. This is be ­
cause pressing the acce lerato r pedal ove r­
rides the cruise contro l system.
- If a brake system ma lf u nction such as over ­
heating occurs when the cruise control sys­
tem is sw itched on, the braking function in
the system may be sw itched off. The rest of
the cruise control system functions remain
active as long as the
[ij;(l)~i4 (USA models) I
i:I (Canada models) indicator light is on.
(D Note
Before driving a long d istance on a steep
downward hill, decrease your speed and se­
lect a lower driving gea r. This makes use of
the engine b raking effect and relieves the
brakes.
(0 Tips
The b rake lights turn on when the brakes are
app lied automatically .
94
· Changing the speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
.,. To increase/decrease the speed in 1 mph (1
km/h) incremen ts, briefly
tap the lever toward
0 10 c::> page 93, fig . 88 to the first level.
.. To increase/decrease the speed in
S mph (10
km/h) increments, briefly tap the lever toward
0 10 to the second leve l.
.. To increase or decrease the speed qu ickly,
hold
the lever toward 0 10 to the first or second
level unt il the desired speed is reached .
Overriding the speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
You can press the acce lerator pedal down to in­
c rease yo ur speed, for example if you want to
pass someone. The speed yo u sto red earl ie r w ill
r esume as soon as yo u release the acceler ator
pedal.
Howeve r, if yo u are exceedi ng the stored speed
by a considerable amount fo r a long time, the
c ruise contro l system will temporarily switch off.
The m:iJm (U SA mode ls) ! Ill (Canada models) in­
dicator light in the instrument cl uster turns off
and the stored speed is retained.
Preselecting a speed
App lies to: vehicles wit h cruise control system
You can pre -select your desired speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
.,. Switch o n the ignition.
.. Pull the lever into pos ition
(I) c::> page 93,
fig. 88 .
.. To increase or decrease the speed, tap the lever
in the
0 10 direction.
This function makes it possible, for example, to
save the speed you want before driving on the highway. Once on the expressway, act ivate the
cruise contro l by pull ing the lever into posit ion
(I) .