2017 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

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

Checking and Filling
-Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out bat­
tery. It could explode! If a battery has fro­
zen, then it must be rep laced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32°F (0°C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explos ion! A lways
rep lace a damaged battery .
A WARNING
California Propositio n 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and re lated acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cance r and rep roduct ive p roblems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do not d isconnect the vehicle battery when
the ig nitio n is switched on or when the en­
g ine is r unning, o therwise, you w ill damage
electron ic compone nts in t he e lectr ica l sys­
t em.
- If your vehicle is going to stan d for a long
period of t ime without be ing dr iven, p rotect
the b attery from "free zing", o therwise it
will be d am age d and will then h ave to be re­
placed .
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged ba t­
tery.
F ig . 2 5 1 Eng ine compartmen t: Co nnectors for charger and
jump er cables
314
Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS below
¢ A and c:> A in Working on the battery on
page 313.
.. Tur n off the ign ition and all ele ctrica l consum ­
ers .
.. Make sure the area is well ventilated when you
charge the battery .
.. Open the engine hood
c:> page 305 .
.. Open the cover on the positive pole c:> fig. 251 .
.. Connect the charger connectors according to
the instruct ions to the
jump start bolts. (Bo lts
unde r the cover= "positive", Bolts with hex
head= "n ega tive").
.. Onl y now plug the m ain s lead fo r the ch arging
equ ipment in to the wall o utlet and tu rn it on
¢ _A .
.. Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amps /14.8 Volt.
.. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charging equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wa ll out let .
.. Now remove the clamps for the c harg ing equip-
ment.
.. Close the cover on the posi tive pole.
.. Close the hood
¢ page 305.
A d ischa rged battery can freeze at temperat ures
of only 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a fro zen ba ttery to
thaw completely befo re a ttemp ting to ch arge it
¢ &. . However, we recommend not u sing a
thawed battery aga in beca use the ba tte ry casing
can be cracke d due to ice formation a nd can leak
battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate of
30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at low voltages (e .g . with a trick·
le charger ),
the battery cables do not have to be
disconnected fir st. The batte ry caps should
not
be opened when charging a battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment .
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14 .8 Volts)
For technica l reasons do not use a battery cha rg ­
er that uses voltage greater than 14.8 Vo lts to
c h arge your veh icle's battery.

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
& WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Always follow the operat ing instruct ions
provided by the battery charger manufactur­
er when charging your battery .
- Never charge a frozen ba ttery . It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice. A l­
low a frozen battery to thaw out first .
- Do not reuse batteries wh ich were frozen.
The battery housing may have cracked and
weakened when the battery froze .
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated area.
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark. Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas generat­
ed by the battery is exp losive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables whi le
the charger is operat ing.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a competent
technician with the proper equipment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charging
should be washed off with a solution of
warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid .
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the engine. This will serious ly damage sensi­
tive electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc ., as well as the battery
charger .
Replacing the battery
Your veh icle is equipped with an inte llige nt ene r­
gy management system for d istr ibut ing elect rici ­
ty ¢
page 138. The battery cha rges better in
vehicles with the en ergy management system
than in vehicles without the system. To ensure
that th e additional pow er is availabl e after re ­
p lac ing the battery, rep lacing w ith the same type
of b attery from the s ame manufac turer ( like the
battery that was delivered with the veh icle) is
recommended . Yo ur authorized deale r must code
the battery in the energy management system to
Ch eck ing and Filling
enable you to use the energy management func­
tions corr ectly aft er replacing the batt ery .
If it is no t possib le to use a battery of this type,
the new battery mus t have the same capacity,
vo ltage ( 12-volts), amperage, construction and
plug sealing.
When install ing the battery, make sure the ig ni­
t ion and all electr ica l cons umers are tu rned off.
Q) Note
- Vehicles, fo r example with a Start-Stop sys­
t em*, a re equipped with a specia l cycle­
proof bat tery (such as an AGM battery). In­
sta lling a different type of battery can cause
prob lems in the veh icle elect rical system .
When replacing the vehicle battery, always
install one w ith the same specifications as
the origina l battery.
- Make sure that the gas venting hose is al­
ways connected to the original opening on the battery s ide . Otherw ise gasses or bat­
tery acid could leak out .
- Battery mounts and clamps must always be
secured correct ly .
- Read and follow the warn ings under
¢
page 313, Working on the battery before
performing any work on the battery.
® For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l of
a battery, we recommend your authori zed
Audi dealer change the battery for you. Bat ­
teries contain sulfur ic acid and lead and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
wi th a ll envi ronmenta l reg ulat ions. Dispos ing
of veh icle bat teries improperly is very da nger­
ous to the environment.
315

Check ing and F illing
Windshield washer
system
.........
w •
F ig. 252 Engin e comp artm ent : wash er fluid r ese rvoir cap
"' N
0
~ 00 m
The washer fluid reservoir O contains the clean­
ing solution for the windshield and the headlight
washer system* c>
page 306, fig. 24 7. The reser­
voir capacity can be found inc>
page 362 .
To reduce the risk of lime sca le deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calci um. Always add window cleaner to the wa­
t er. When the outside temper atures are co ld, an
anti-free zing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
Cl) Note
-The concentration of anti-free zing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operating
conditions in the respective climate. A con ­
centration that is too high can lead to veh i­
cle damage .
- Never add rad iator anti -freeze or other addi ­
tives to the washer fluid .
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint solvents, beca use this could damage
the pa int.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service.
Checking se rv ice intervals
You can check the rema ining distance or time un ­
til the next oil change or next inspection i n the
I nfotainment system .
316
.. Select in the Infotainment system : the !MENUI
button > V ehicle > left control button > Se rvice
& che cks > Ser vice inte rvals .
Resettin g the indicator
You r authorized Audi dea le r or authorized Audi
Se rvice Facility w ill reset the se rvice interval dis­
play after performing service.
If you have changed the oi l yourself, yo u must re­
set the o il change interval.
.. Select in the Infotainment system: thel
M ENU !
button > Vehicle > left control button > Ser vic e
& check s > Service int erv al s > Re set oil chang e
int erva l.
If an o il cha nge or inspection is due, you can ac­
cess it i n the Infota inment system. The display
works in two stages :
-Se rv ice re mind er: after a certain distance is
dr iven, a message appears in the instrument
cluste r display eve ry t ime the ignition is switch­
ed on. The remaining d istance and time is dis­
played briefly .
-Serv ic e due : if your vehicle has reached a se rv­
ice in terva l, a message appears briefly after
sw itching the ignition on.
(D Note
- Only reset the oil change indicator if the oi l
was changed.
- Following the se rvice interva ls is cr itical to
ma inta ining the se rvice l ife and val ue of
yo ur vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
the mileage on the vehi cle is low, do not ex ­
ceed the time for the next service .
- Calc ulat ing the time to the next oil change
is interrupted when the vehicle battery is
disconnected.
If the vehicle is not driven for
a long period of time, check the mainte­
nance schedule so that you can fo llow the
maintenance intervals .

Wheels
Wheels and tires
General information
.,.Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap­
proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
"'Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fue l.
.,.M ark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled.
"'Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burn ished, polished or
chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­ aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 253 T ir e designations on the side -
wall Ill>
317

Wheels
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
P indicat es a tire for a passenger
vehicle. T indicates a tire desig­
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be­
tween the sidewalls in millime­
ters. In general: the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed
¢ & in
W inter tires on page 332 .
"XTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi­
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (1 50 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
318
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
Ing R
up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)al
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)al
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)al
a) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufact urers sometimes use the
code "ZR".
(j) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2215 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2015.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original Tires with the desig­
nation "AO" or "RO" have been
specifically matched to your Audi.
When u sed correctly, these tires
meet the highest standards for
safety and handling. An author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility will be able
to provide you with more infor­
mation.