2017 AUDI A4 brake fluid

Cockpit over view
Do not cont inue driving . See an authorized Audi
dealer or a uthorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance ¢& .
1111 (U SA models ) / . (Cana da m od els) Park­
ing br ake: malfun ction! Safel y stop veh icle . See
owner 's manual
-If the indicato r light a nd the message appear
when the vehi cle is st ationary or aft er sw itch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
parking brake . If you cannot re lease the park­
i ng brake, see yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler or
authori zed Aud i Serv ice Facility . If you can re­
lease the park ing brake and the message still
appears , see an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected .
-If the indicator light and message appear w hile
driving ,
the hill start assist or emergency brak ­
ing function may be malfunctioning .
It may not
be possib le to set the pa rking brake or release
it once it has been set. Do not pa rk your veh icle
on h ills. See an author ized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance .
Brake servo: re strict ed . You can continue driv ­
ing . Pleas e contact Servic e
There is a malfunction in the brake booster . The
brake booster is available, but its effectiveness is
reduced . Braking behav ior may be diffe rent from
how it no rma lly fu nctions and t he b rake pedal
may v ibrate .
Dr ive to an authorized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
_&. WARNING
- Read and follow the warn ings in
¢ page 304, Working in the engine com­
partment
before opening the hood and
check ing the brake fl uid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does no t
turn off o r it turns on while driving, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an accident.
Stop the vehicle and do not continue dr iv-
30
ing . See an autho rized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized A udi Service Fac ility for assistance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
together w ith the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating function may
be malfunct ion ing. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
creases the risk that the vehicle will slide. Do not co ntin ue d rivi ng. See an autho rized
Aud i dea le r or a ut horized Audi Serv ice Facili­
ty fo r ass istance .
PARK/<®)/!®)' Electromechanical parking
brake
If the -(USA mode ls) I. (Canada models)
i ndicator l ight turns on, the parking brake was
set .
If the -(USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models) in­
dicator light blinks, the braking force is not build­
i ng up enough or not building up at a ll. Se lect the
P selector lever posit ion to help secure the vehi­
cle. Make sure the indicator light is off before you
start driving .
£dJ Parking brake: mal function! Please contact
S ervice
There is a ma lf u nction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediate ly to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
• (USA models )/ lC~) (Canada model s) Parking
brake: caution! Vehicle parked too steep
There is not eno ugh braking force to ho ld the ve ­
hicle in p lace . T he brakes have overheated. The
vehicle could roll away even on a small incline.
• (USA model s)/¢~) (C a nada model s) Parking
brake: applied
If this message appea rs, press the b rake pedal
first and then release the parking brake if ne ces­
sary .
II (USA model s)/¢~) (Canada mode ls) Parking
brake: emerg ency braking
The emergency braking funct ion was triggered . ..,.

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-

Intelligent Technology
- The re is no vehicle stabilizat ion when ESC/
ASR are switched off.
Braking
New brake pads
New b rake pads do not achieve the ir full braking
effect during the first 250 miles (400 km) . They
must be "broken in" first . However, you can com­
pensate for the slightly reduced brak ing force by
pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy
braking dur ing the break-in per iod.
W ear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
vehicle is driven and on operating conditions.
This is especially true if you are driving frequently
in the c ity and on curves or with a sporty driving
style .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, b raking force and outside conditions such
as tempe rature and humidity.
W et conditions or road salt
In certain s ituations, for example after dr iving
through water, in heavy rain or after washing
your car, the brak ing effect may be reduced due
to mo isture or ice on the brake rotors and brake
pads. The brakes must be "dr ied" first wit h a few
careful brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. Th is action,
which is not felt by the driver, happens at regular
i n tervals a nd ensu res a better reaction time for
the bra kes in wet weather .
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the
brakes fo r long periods of time . The laye r of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be wo rn off
fi rst when the b rakes are app lied.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mi leage and avo iding heavy brak ing
136
can con trib ute to corros ion on t he b rake roto rs
and to dirty brake pads .
I f you usu all y avoid he avy br aking or if there is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy brak ing at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads~.&. .
Brake system malfunction
if you not ice that the b rake peda l t ravel has sud­
denly gotten larger, t hen a b rake c ircuit in the
dual-c ircuit brake system may have failed. Drive
to an authorized Audi dea ler o r authorized Audi
Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the prob lem
corrected . On the way there, dr ive with reduced
speed and keep in mind tha t you w ill need a lon­
ger distance to stop and you will need to press
the brake pedal harder.
l o w brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur. The brake fluid level
i s electronically monitored.
Brake booster
The bra ke boos ter amp lifies the p ressure yo u ap ­
ply to the brake pedal. It only wor ks when the en­
gine is running .
A WARNING
- Only app ly the bra kes for the purpose o f
cleaning the brake system w hen road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This i ncreases the
r is k of an accident.
-
- Never let the ve hicle roll while the engine is
s to pped because t his i ncreases the ris k of an
acciden t.
Q) Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
peda l lightly when braking is not actually
necessary . This causes t he b rakes to over ­
heat and incr eases brak ing distanc e and
c a u ses we ar.
- Before driving a long d istance o n a steep
d ownward hill, decrease your speed a nd se-
le ct a lo wer driving gear. This m akes use of
1111>

Checking and Filling
-If you notice that the hood is not latched
wh ile you are dr iv ing, stop immediately and
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
close it, because driving when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident.
F ig. 247 Ty pical lo ca tion of th e reservoir a nd the engine o il filler op ening
@ Washer fluid reservoir (0) . . . . . . 316
@ Jump start po int( +) under a cover,
(-) with hex head screw . ...... .. 314,356
@ Eng ine oil filling opening
( @ Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . . . 310
® Brake fluid reservoir (0)) . . . . . . . 31 1
The location of the engine oil filling hole and the coo lant expansion tank~
fig. 247 (items @and
@) may differ depending on the engine version .
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the eng ine compartment
~ page 304.
306
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications .
The serv ice interval d isplay in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an o il change. We recommend that you
have you r oil changed by an author ized Audi Se rv­
i ce Adv isor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes, u se the Audi oil quality standard specif ied in the
tab~.
~

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,
@ For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings will adversely
affect emission levels. This is detrimental to
the environment and increases fuel con­
sumption.
- Always observe environmental regulations
when disposing of old engine oil, used brake
fluid, dirty engine coolant, spent batteries
or worn out tires .
- Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mate­
rial -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap­
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your deal­ er perform this service for you.
Accessories and
technical changes
Additional accessories and parts replacement
Always consult an authori zed Audi dealer before
purchasing accessories.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design
features ensuring a high standard of active and passive safety.
Th is safety could be compromised by non-ap­
proved changes to the vehicle. For this reason, if
parts have to be replaced, please observe the fol­
lowing points when installing additional accesso­
ries :
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are available from authorized Audi dealers.
These dealers also have the necessary facilities, tools and trained specialists to install the parts
and accessories properly .
Consumer information
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non-ap­
proved accessories can cause damage to the
vehicle and serious personal injury.
- Use only accessories expressly approved by
Audi and genuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been spe­
cially designed to be used on your vehicle.
- Never install accessories such as telephone
cradles or beverage holders on airbag covers
or within the airbag deployment zones . Do ­
ing so will increase the risk of injury if air­
bags are triggered in an accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
9 page 304.
(D Note
- If items other than genuine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not per­
formed according to specified methods, this
can result in severe damage to your vehi­
cle's engine and body (such as corrosion)
and adversely affect your vehicle's warranty.
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by an
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable for
damage which occurs due to failure to com­
ply with these stipulations.
Technical Modifications
Our guid elines must be complied with when t ech­
nical modifications are made.
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer before
starting work on any modifications.
This will help ensure that vehicle function, per­
formance and safety are not impaired
9 ,& .
Attempting to work on electronic components
and the software used with them can cause mal­
functions. Because of the way electronic compo­
nents are interconnected with each other, such
malfunctions can also have an adverse affect on
other systems that are not directly involved. This ..,.
365

Index
Audi connect ( Infotainment) .. ... .. . 172, 178
Data protection
Pe rsonal hotspot 179
172
Services overv iew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Aud i d rive select
refer to Drive select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Aud i Enterta inment mobi le ...... .... .. . 217
Aud i mus ic interface ............ .... .. . 215
Aud i m usic s tream
refer to Wi -Fi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Aud iofi les ..... .. ................ ... . 217
Aud io player
Bluetooth audio pl ayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
W i-F i aud io player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Audio track 220
Aud i Serv ice Repair Man uals and Lite rature 363
Aud i smar tphone interface ...... ... 227,231
Aud i virtual cockp it
refer to Instr ument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
AUTO Automatic headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SO
Climate con trol system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Auto Lock (central locking system) . . . . . . . . 3 7
Automatic belt ret ractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Automatic transm ission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
E me rgency mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
H ill descent contro l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Kick -down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Launch contro l program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Manual sh ifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Parking lock emergency re lease . . . . . . . . . 89
Selector lever pos itions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Automatic wipe/wash system . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Auto Safety Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Auxiliary heater (climate control system) . . . 71
AUX inp ut . .. .. .. ............. .... .. . 215
Average consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
B
BACK button
Balance (sound)
Basic
Bass (sound)
368
141
233 108
233 Battery .
... .. .. .. .. .. ... . .. .... ... .. 312
Battery location inside the luggage compart-
ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Charge leve l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 314
E nergy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Impo rtant warnings when working on the
batte ry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Ind icator lig ht . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Jump start ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Winter operation ... .. ... . .. .... ... . .
Working on the battery . ... .. .... ... . .
Befo re dr iv ing
Be lt tens ioner
. .. .. .. .. ............. ..
B lended gasoline . ... .. .. .. .. .... ... . .
Blind
......... ... ... ............. ....
3 12
313
236
251
296
56
B lower (climate control system) . . . . . . . . . . 70
B luetoot h
Audio p layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 12
Connecting a cell phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Booster seats
Brake flu id 28
7
Changi ng the brake flu id .. ... .... ... .. 311
Check ing the brake fluid level ......... . 311
Brakes Ind icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
B rake system
B rake flu id
311
Brake fl uid spec ifications for refill and re­
placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Fluid reservo ir . .. .. .. ............. .. 311
B raking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
A utomat ic post-collision braking system . 134
Brake assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
E me rgency braking function . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Ind icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 33
New brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Wo rn brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Braking in New brake pads 136
B re aking in
New engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
New ti res . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324