2017 AUDI A4 warning light

Child safety
-Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan­
el.
- Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down ad­
justment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possible, before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint.
- Always make sure that the safety belt upper
anchorage is behind the child restraint and
not next to or in front of the child restraint
so that the safety belt will be properly posi­
tioned.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF~ ;
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof .
- Always be especially careful if you must in­
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir­
cumstances .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF~;
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; light
does not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer .
290
· Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer 's
instructions when installing a child restrain t in
your vehicle . To activate the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably
on the rear seat .
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
.. Route it around or through the child restraint
belt path
~ ,&. .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that
seating position.
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor un­
til the belt lies flat and snug on the child safety
seat.
.. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt
winds back into the inertia reel. Test the con ­
vertible locking retractor by pulling on the belt.
You should no longer be able to putt the belt
out of the retractor. The convertible locking re­
tractor is now activated .
.. Make sure that the red release button is facing
away from the child restraint so that it can be
unbuckled quickly.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is
properly tight and fastened so that the seat
cannot move forward or sideways more than
one inch (2 .5 cm) .
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improp­
erly installed child restraint can cause serious
personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retrac­
tor cannot hold the child safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a crash.

Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing chi ld restraint systems
come with a tether. Please read and heed the
child restraint system manufacturer's instruc­
tions carefully to determine how to properly in­
stall the tether.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
ser iously injured and can be killed if the front
airbag inflates -even w ith an Advanced A irbag
System.
- T he inflating a irbag w ill hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF,;; light does not
come on and stay on, immed iate ly install
the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seat ing pos ition and have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer.
Additional information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional in­
formation about child restraint selection, instal­
lation and use:
NHTSA advises that the best child safety seat is
the one that fits your child and fits in your vehi­
cle, and that you will use correctly and consis­
tently .
Try before you buy!
U .S National Highway Traffic Safety Administra­
tion
;;!; Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) ....
~ http://www.nhtsa.gov
N 8 http ://www.safercar.gov
0
3 National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 662-0600
http:/ /www.safekids .org
Safety BeltSafe U .S.A
Tel.: (800) 745-SAFE (English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Spanish) http://www. ca rseat. org
Child safety
Transport Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 or ca ll 1-613-998-8616 if
you are in the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/ eng/roadsafety/menu. htm
Audi Customer Relations
Tel.: (800) 822-2834
295

reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproduct ive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chem icals known to the State of California
to cause cance r and rep roductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When filling flu ids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up . Otherwise severe ma lfunctions and en­
gine damage w ill occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the grou nd under
your veh icle in order to detect Leaks qu ickly . If
there are v isible spots from oil or other fluids,
bring your vehicle to an authorized Aud i dea l­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
Opening the hood
The hood is released from the interior.
F ig. 2 45 Dri ver fo otw ell : rele ase leve r
Checki ng an d Fill in g
Fig. 246 Unlocke d hood: lever
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
.,. With the driver's door open, pull the lever be­
low the instrument pane l in the direction of the
arrow
c;> fig. 245 .
.,. Raise the hood slightly c;> ,&. .
.,. Press the lever c;> fig. 246 in the direct ion of the
arrow. This releases the hooks .
.. Open the hood .
A WARNING
-
Never open the hood if you can see steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­ ment, because this increases the risk of
burns. Wait until no steam or coolant is es­
cap ing .
Closing the hood
.,. Push the hood down until you override the
force of the str uts .
.,. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch .
Do not
press it in.
c;> &_ .
A WARNING
-===
If the hood is not latched complete ly, it could
fly up wh ile you are driving and obstruct your
vis ion.
- For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
~
305

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
Audi oil quality standard
Gas oline
VW 502 00 or
engi ne vw 504 00
Diesel vw 507 00
eng ine
A udi recomm ends
~ Castrot /jglQ,Y j;-11Jt ?rtwF«J.o,.11-J.
Audi recomm ends Longlife high perf orma nce
engine oil from Aud i Genuine Parts
Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high-quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Aud i Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet .
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Aud i oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
U si ng a ny other oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubr icants or othe r additives
i nto the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requ ires, you may add a tota l of
no more than 0 .5 qua rt/liter of a h igh-quality
"synthetic"oil that meets the following speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline engine: AC EA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE SW-30 or SAE 5W-40.
- Vehicles with diesel engine: ACEA C3 or API CF with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30
or SAE 5W-30.
- For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dea ler
Ch eck ing and Filling
or Audi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.aud iusa .com or www .a udicanada .ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool ­
ing of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion eng ines consume a certa in amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from eng ine to en­
gine and may change s ignificantly over the life of
the engine. Typ ically, engines w ith a specified
break-in period (see
c::> page 73) consume more
o il during the break-in per iod than they consume
after oil consumpt ion has stabil ized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
peratu re and road co ndit ions. Furt her fac to rs a re
the amo unt of oil di lution from wate r condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be estab­
lished or spec ified . There is no alternative to reg­
ular and frequent checking of the oi l level, see
Not e.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbo l El
in the instrument cluster lights up, you should
check the oil level as soon as possible
c::> page 308 . Top off the o il at your earliest con­
venience
c::> page 308 .
A WARNING
Before you check anyt hing in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
IN GS
c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart-
ment on page 304. ..,_
307

and have the cooling system inspected. If the
cooling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheating and being pushed out of the cooling system.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coolant expansion tank cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk of burns .
- The coolant add itive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
and away from children. There is a risk of
poisoning.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. There may be a ir in the cooling sys­
tem, which increases the risk of engine dam­
age . If this is the case, do not continue driv­
ing . See an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance .
Fig. 250 Engine compa rtment: Cover o n the brake fluid
rese rvoir
Before you check anything in the eng ine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
Checking and Filling
c::> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 304.
" Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
c::> fig. 250, c::> page 306, fig. 247. The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake flu id reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the left
side
~ page 306 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicato r
light (USA models:
11111 , Canada models : II>
will come on c::> page 29. Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle. The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator light will illuminate .
Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immediately .
@ Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after ape­
riod of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease braking performance .
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years .
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized
Audi
dealer.
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
311

Check ing and F illing
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed orig inal container out of
the reach of chi ldren!
- B rake failure can resu lt from old or inappro­
pr iate brake flu id. Observe these precau­
t ions:
- Use on ly brake fluid that mee ts SA E speci ­
fi cation) 17 0 3 and confo rms to Fede ral
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116. Always check
wit h your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The cor rect type o f brake fluid is a lso indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake flu id is left in the system too long.
This ca n ser iously affect t he efficiency of
the bra kes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
{U) Note
Brake fluid w ill damage the pa int of yo ur vehi­
cle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake flu id as we ll as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend tha t you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi d ealer.
Battery
General information
Unde r normal operating conditions, the battery
i n your Audi does not need any maintenance.
W ith
high outs ide temperat ures o r long da ily
d rives we recommend that you have the electro­
lyte leve l checked by an a uth orized Audi dea le r or
qua lified wor kshop. The e lectroly te leve l should
a lso be checked each time the batte ry is ch a rged
¢ page 314.
312
Have t he battery chec ke d when yo u take yo ur ve ­
hicle in for service . You are we ll advised to re­
place a battery that is o lder than 5 yea rs .
With ce rta in types o f airbag deployment, t he
b atte ry is disconnected from the veh icle elect ri­
ca l system for safety reasons ¢.&
in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 268.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some ve hicl e fu nctions (power window regula ­
tors, for examp le) are lost if the batte ry te rm i­
nals a re disconnected . These f unc tions have to be
relearned after the battery term inals are con­
nected again . To p revent this, the battery should
o nl y be disconnected from the vehicle electrical
system when absolute ly necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not d rive yo ur vehicle ove r a period of
severa l days o r weeks, electr ica l components are
grad ua lly cut back or switched of f. T his reduces
energy consumpt ion and maintains start ing ca­
pability over a longer period ¢
page 138.
Some of the convenience functions may not oper­
ate, such as the inter ior lights or the power seat
adjustment . The convenience functions will be
available again w hen you turn on the ignit io n and
start the eng ine .
Winter operation
Dur ing the winte r months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as tempe ratures drop. This is be ­
ca use more power is also consumed while start­
i ng, and t he headlights, rear w indow defogger,
etc ., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary powe r consumption, partic u­
l a rly in city traffic or when traveling o nly short
distances . Let your author ized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before win ter
sets in ¢
page 314 . A well charged battery will
n ot only p reve nt sta rting prob lems when the
we ather is co ld , but will also last longer.
@ Tips
I f yo ur vehicle is left sta nding for several
weeks at extreme ly low te mpera tures, th e ve-
h icl e b att ery should be re mo ved and store d
II>-

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it
from being damaged and having to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the battery.
The battery is located in the engine compart­
ment. Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
read and heed all WARNINGS
c::>& .
Always heed the safety warnings, when wo rking
on the vehicle battery or the vehicle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM -
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
&
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear glov es and eye protection .
@
No
-sparks
- flames
- smoking.
~
When a battery i s charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
®
Always keep the battery well out of reach
of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the
electrical system, there is the risk of injury,
accident and even fire . Read and heed the fol­
lowing WARNINGS:
-Always wear eye protection. Do not let bat­
tery acid or any lead particles get on your
skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Exp losive
gases can cause blindness or other injury .
- Battery acid contains su lfuric acid. Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns.
-
Checking and Filling
-Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on
your skin, immed iate ly r inse with cold wa­
ter for several minutes and get med ical at­
tent ion.
- If you shou ld ingest any battery acid, seek
med ica l attent ion immed iate ly.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega -
tive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the termina ls with tools or oth­
er metal objects. This would cause the bat­
tery to heat up very quickly, which cou ld
lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury .
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy­
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children .
- Before work is done on the e lectrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negat ive ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri­
cal system, sw itch off the engine and ign i­
tion as well as any electrical equipment. The
negat ive cable on the battery must be dis­
connected. If you are just going to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to swi tch off
the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft alarm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers are switched off.
Reconnect the positive cable first and then
the negative cable. Never interchange the
cables -this could start a fire!
313

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
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 required cleaning and care products can be
obtained from an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thoriz ed Service Facility. Read and follow th e in­
structions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
-Us ing clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably buy 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 such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve­
h icle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
i ncrease the damag ing effect .
Before washing, r inse off heavy depos its with
p lenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of wate r and a
microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your 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 ope ra ting inst ructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washe r. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance. Do not aim the spray directly
Ca re and cleaning
at seals on side w indows, doo rs, the hood, the
lu ggage compartment lid or the sunroof* or at
t ires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sensors *
or camera lenses*. Keep a distance of at least 16
in
(40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rota ry nozzles or high pressure noz ­
zles .
T he wate r temperatu re must not be above
140 °F
(60 °() .
Automat ic car washe s
Spray off the vehicle before washing .
Make s ure that the windows and roof * are closed
and the windsh ield wipers are off. Follow instruc­
t ions 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 work­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning br ush .
U se solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing, first
remove d ust and large particles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avo id damag ing the pa int surface, do not use too
much pressure .
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft mic ro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the ve hicl e thorough ly agai n and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my.
IIIJ,,
337