2017 AUDI A4 engine overheat

A WARNING
Do not assume the roads are free of ice based
on the outside temperature display. Be aware
that there may be ice on roads even when the outside temperature is around 41 °F (+5 °C)
and that ice can increase the risk of accidents.
@ Tips
-Depending on vehicle equipment, the in­
strument illumination (needles and gauges) may turn on when the lights are off and the
ignition is switched on. The illumination for
the gauges reduces automatically and even­
tually turns off as brightness outside in­
creases. This function reminds the driver to
turn the low beams on at the appropriate
time.
- You can select the units used for tempera­
ture, speed and other measurements in the
Infotainment system c::>
page 229.
-If your vehicle is stationary or if you are driv­
ing at very low speeds, the temperature dis­
played may be slightly higher than the ac­
tual temperature outside due to the heat ra­
diating from the engine.
- At temperatures below 41 °F (+5 °C), a
snowflake symbol appears in front of the
temperature display c::>
A.
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature display@c::> page 10,
fig . 3
or c::> page 10, fig. 4 only functions when
the ignition is switched on. To prevent engine
damage, please observe the following notes
about the temperature ranges.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet . Avoid high engine speeds, full ac­
celeration and heavy engine loads.
Normal range
<( ~ The engine has reached its operating tempera-
~ ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge N
8 turn on under normal driving conditions. The 0
3 Cockpit overview
LEDs higher up may turn on if the engine is under
heavy load or the outside temperature is high.
This is no cause for concern as long as the. in­
dicator light in the instrument cluster does not
turn on. If the LEDs in the upper area of the dis­
play and the. indicator light in the instrument
cluster display turn on, the coolant temperature
is too high
c::> page 31.
(D Note
-Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-air intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the risk of the engine overheating during
high outside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load.
- The front spoiler also helps to distribute
cooling air correctly while driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over­
heating will increase. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility for assistance.
(D Tips
Diesel engines: due to the high efficiency of
these engines, the engine may not always reach operating temperature in cold outside
temperatures. This is normal and not a cause
for concern .
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM) .
The beginning of the red zone in the tachometer
indicates the maximum permitted engine speed
for all gears once the engine has been broken in
and when it is warm . Before reaching this zone,
you should shift into the next highest gear, select
the D/S selector lever position, or remove your
foot from the accelerator pedal.
{Q) Note
The needle in the tachometer @c::> page 10,
fig. 3
or c::> page 10, fig. 4 may only be in the
red area of the gauge for a short time or there ..,.
11

Cockpit overv iew
is a risk of engine damage . The location where
the red zone begins varies depe nding on the
eng ine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re ­
duces operating noise.
Fuel level
T he display (J) c:> page 10, fig. 3 or c:> page 10,
fig . 4
only functions when the ignition is switch­
ed on . When the display ha s reached the reserve
mark, the bottom LED turns red and the
tD ind i­
cator l ight turns on
c:> page 34 . The bottom LED
blinks red when the fuel leve l is ve ry low.
F or the tank capacity in your vehicle, refer to the
Technical Data
c:> poge 362.
(D Note
Never drive until the tank is completely emp­
ty . The irregular supply of fuel that results
from that can cause engine misfires . Uncom ­
busted fuel will the n enter the exhaus t sys­
tem. This can cause overheating and damage
to the cata lytic conve rter.
Odometer
F ig. S In strume nt cl uster : odometer a nd reset bu tton
Trip odometer and odomete r
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to measure
short distances .
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by press­ ing the ~ reset button .
12
The odometer shows the total distance that the
vehicle has been driven .
Malfunction indicat or
If there is a malfunction in the instrument clus­
ter,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer display.
Have the malfunction co rrected as soon as possi­
ble .
@ Tips
The units of measu rement can be set in the
Infotainment system
c:> page 229 .
Multifunction steering
wheel plus
Operating
Applies to: vehicles with multifunctio n steering wheel plus
You con use the multifunction steering wheel
plus to operate the driver information system
and the MMI functions, adjust the volume and
switch the voice recognition system on and off.
Fig. 6 D river informat ion syste m display
Fig. 7 Mult ifun ctio n stee rin g wheel opera tion
Requirement: the ignition must be switched on . ll>

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 . ..,.

Cockpit over view
~ Diesel particulate filter
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engine and diesel particulate
filter
II Particul ate filt er: malfunct ion! See own er' s
m anual
The diesel particulate f ilter requires regenera­
tion. To support the filter's self-cleaning func­
tion :
Drive for approximate ly 15 minutes at 37 mph
(60 km/h) or above in the S se lector lever posi­
tion. Keep the eng ine speed around 2,000 RPM.
The temperature increase that will result from
this can burn off the soot in the filter . The ind ica ­
tor light will turn off when the cleaning has com­
p leted successf ully.
H ave an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility repa ir the malfunction im ­
mediately if the ind icator light does
not turn off .
A WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the cu rrent
weather, road and traffic conditions . You
should never disobey traffic laws in order to
follow driving recommendations .
(D Tips
For addit iona l information on the diese l par­
t ic ulate fi lter, refer to~
page 303.
!?i Engine speed limitation
II! Ma ximum engine spe ed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automat ica lly lim ited to the
speed d isplayed in the instrument clus ter. Thi s
p rotects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed lim itation deactivates once the
eng ine is no longer in the cri tical temperature
range and you have released the acce le rato r ped­
al once.
If t he engine speed l imitation was activated by
an eng ine contro l ma lfunction, the
II indicator
light also turns on. Make su re the engine speed
does no t go above t he speed d isplayed, fo r exam­
p le w hen downsh ifting . Drive to an authorized
34
Audi dealer or authori zed A udi Service Fac ility im ­
mediate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
~ ... Engine oil sensor
• Oil le vel system: malfu nction! Please con­
tact S ervice
The sensor to check the engine oi l level has
failed. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
• Oil level sensor: oil change neces sary. Please
contact Service
Fuel has e ntered the engine oil as a result of fre ­
quent short drives. Avo id high engine speeds, full
acce leration and heavy engine loads. D rive to an
authorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized Audi Service
Facility immediate ly to have the o il changed.
• Oil pre ssure sensor: malfunct ion! Plea se
contact Ser vice
There is a ma lf u nction in the oi l pressure senso r.
D rive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
f Engine warm-up request
n Please warm up engine
Fuel has entered the engine oil, eithe r from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives.
Drive until the eng ine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine o il w ill evaporate. Avoid high engine
speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this .
E@ Tank system
liD Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears, there are about 2.1
gallons (8 liters) of fuel left in the tank .
(iD Please refuel immediately
If the indic ator ligh t turns on the message ap ­
pears, the fuel tank is a lmost empty. Refue l the
vehicle immediately .
...

Driving
next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fue l con ­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
t ion).
Shift effici ently
An effective way to save fuel is to upshift earlier.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari ­
ly .
P ress down o n the acce lerator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You shou ld rare ly t rave l at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disp roportiona tely
h igh inc rease in fuel consump tion, emissions and
traffic no ise . Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles witho ut the Start/
S top system* , it is efficient to swit ch the eng ine
off when stopped at r,;1ilro,;1d crossi ngs and long
red lights . Stopping the engine for 30 -40 sec ­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the engine.
It t akes a very long time in idle to war m the en ­
g ine up to opera ting tempera ture . Wea r and
emissions are especially high in the warm -up
p hase . Therefore, yo u should begin driving im ­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while do ing th is.
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having ma intenance performed regularly on
your vehicle, you can help to reduce f uel con­
sumpt ion befo re yo u even start to dr ive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects t raffic safety and long-term value but a l­
so impacts
fuel consumpt ion . A poorly main ­
tained engine can lead to f uel consumption that
is 10% higher than normal.
Avoid short trips
The engine and exhaust cleaning system m ust
reach the ir opt imal
operating temperature to ef­
fectively reduce consumption and em iss ions.
74
A cold engine uses a d isproportionately high
amount of fue l. The engine reaches operating
temperat ure and cons umption norma lizes on ly
after approximate ly
four ki lometers.
Check the tire pres sure
To save fue l, make sure the t ires are always in­
flated to the correct press ure
¢ page 32 7. The
fuel consumpt ion can increase by S% if the pres ­
s u re is only 0.5 bar too low. Due to the increased
roll ing resistance, low tire pressures w ill also
l ead to greater tire
wear and will affect dr iving
behavior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year-round, as this
will consume up to 10% more f uel.
Eliminate unnecessary we ight
Since eve ry kil og ram o f extra weight in creases
fuel consumption, a quick inspection of the lug­
gage compartment may be worth it to avoid un­
necessary we ight.
When no t be ing used, a roof rack sho uld be re ­
moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle . You will save approx imately
12% of your
fuel when at speeds from 62-75 mph (100-120 km/h).
Save energy
The eng ine drives the generator, which generates
electricity; the fuel consumption also inc reases
with the demand for e lectricity. Therefore, switch
e lectrical equ ipment off when you no longer
need it. Examples of eq uipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting . If warning lights shou ld come on to
i ndica te improper operation, they would go
unheeded . Extended idling also prod uces
h eat, w hic h could result i n overheating o r
o ther damage to the veh icle o r othe r prope r­
ty .

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

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