2017 AUDI A4 towing

Table of contents
About this Owner's Manual ... .. .
Cockpit ... .. ............... .... .. .
Cockpit overview ................ .
Controls at a glance ... .......... .. .. .
Instrument cluster .. .......... .. .. .. .
Multifunction steering wheel plus ... .. .
Multifunction steering wheel ......... .
Driver Informat ion System ..... .. .... .
H ead-up Display .... .. .. ..... ... .. .. .
Camera-based traff ic sign recognition .. .
O n Board Diagnostic System (OBD) .... .
I ndicator l ights .............. .... .. .
Starting and driving
Opening and closing Cent ral Lock ing .............. .... .. .
L uggage compa rtment lid ... ..... .. .. .
Child safety lock .... .......... .. .. .. .
Power window ... .. .......... .. .. .. .
Sliding/tilting sunroof ......... .... .. .
Valet parking function ............. .. .
Garage door opener (Homelink) . .. .. .. .
L ights and Vision .............. .. .
Exterior lighting . .. . .......... .. .. .. .
Interior lighting ...... ........... ... .
V1s1on ....... .. ................ ... .
Windshield wipers . ... .... .... .. .. .. .
Digital compass . ............. .... .. .
Seats and storage ............ ... .
General information .......... .. .. .. . 6
8
8
8
10
12
15
16
23
24
25
26
37
37
3 7
43
45
45
47
47
48
so so
53
54
56
58
6 1
61
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
H ead restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Memory function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Warm and cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Climate control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
3 zone deluxe automatic climate control . 69
Steer ing whee l heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 1
2
Driving ..... .. .. .. .. ... .......... . .
General information . ... ........... . .
Steering .......... .. .. . .......... . .
Start ing and stopping the eng ine ..... . .
Start/Stop system .. .. ............. . .
E le ctromechanical parking brake ...... .
Automat ic transmission
Trailer towing ... .. ... .. ..... ... . .
Driving with a trailer .. ........ ..... . .
Trailer towing information
Driver assistance .. ............ .. .
Assist ........... ... .............. .
Electronic speed limiter ... .. ... ... .. . . 73
73
75
76
78
81
83
90
90
91
93
93
93
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Predictive efficiency assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Audi adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Predictive control (efficiency assist) . . . . .
102
Congestion assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Distance ind icator and distance warning 105
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Audi pre sense basic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Audi pre sense front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Audi pre sense rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Audi pre sense city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Settings in the Infotainment system . . . . 111
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Audi sid e ass ist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Audi drive select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Parking systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Rear parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Parking system plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Rearview camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Peripheral cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Adjusting park assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
T railer hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 134
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . . . . 134
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
Towing wit h a tow tr uck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Raising the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Accessories and Technical Data . 361
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Ve hicle specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
We ights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Capac it ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Consumer information ... .. .... . 363
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Operating your veh icle outs ide the U .S .A.
or Ca nada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Aud i Serv ice Repair Ma nuals and
Li ter ature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
M ain tenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Accessories and technical changes . . . . . . 365
Declarat ion of Compliance,
Telecommun ications and E lectronic
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Index ... .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .... . 367
Table of contents
5

Emergency flashers
--
J -(rm -
Fig. 48 Center co nsole: e merge ncy flasher b utto n
The emergency flashers makes other drivers
aware of your vehicle in dangerous situat ions .
.. Press the~ button to switch the emergency
flashers on or off.
You can indicate a lane change or a turn when the
emergency flashers are switched on by using the
turn signal lever. The emergency flashers stop
temporarily.
The emergency flashers also work when the igni­
tion is turned off.
(D Tips
You shou ld switch the emergency flashers on
if:
- You are the last car in a traffic jam so that
a ll other vehicles approaching from behind
can see you, or if
- Your vehicle has broken down or you are
having an emergency, or if
- Your vehicle is being towed or if yo u are
towing another vehicle.
Lights and V ision
Interior lighting
Front interior lighting
The interior lighting consists of the interior lights
and the reading lights for the driver and front
passenger .
Fig. 49 Headliner: front interio r light ing
Press the corresponding button¢ fig. 49:
-M --Inte rior lighting on/off
{! -Door contact sw itch on/off . The interior light­
ing is controlled automat ically .
To switch off the applicable reading light on or off, touch the surface @briefly. To activate the
dimming function manually, touch the surface @
when the light is sw itched off and keep touching
it until the desired br igh tness is reached .
Rear interior lighting
Fig. SO Headliner: rea r readi ng l ig hts
.. To turn a read ing light on or off, press the '<-s­
button .
.. To act ivate the manual d imm ing funct ion*,
touch the surface when the light is switched off
~~ and keep touchi ng it unt il the desired
brightness is reached.
53

Driving
Sel ector l ev e r lo ck
The se lector lever lock prevents you from se lect­
ing a position unintentionally, causing the vehicle
to ro ll. When engaging some selector lever posi­
tions, you must press the locking button
CD on
the selector lever and/or press the brake pedal
¢fig. 83.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a se­
lector lever position when the engine is running
and the vehicle is stationary.
You do not have to press the brake peda l if you
shift from D to R within one second. This allows
you to "rock" the vehicle to free it when it is stuck.
P -Pa rk
The whee ls are loc ked in this pos it ion. On ly shift
into park when the veh icle is stationary ¢&. . T o
select the P selector lever position, press the P
button @on the selector lever ¢
fig. 83. Pap­
pears next to the se lector lever.
You can only shift out of park when the engine is running and you are press ing the b rake pedal. To
release the parking lock, press the brake peda l,
press the locking button
CD on the selector lever
and select the desired pos it ion ¢
fig. 83.
P engages automat ically if you switch the engine
off while the selector lever is in D, E, Sor R.
If yo u sw itch the engine off when the N position
is selected, the transmission remains in N for ap ­
proximate ly 30 minutes and then Pis engaged .
You must use the par king loc k emergency release
before towing the vehicle¢
page 89.
R -Reverse
The reverse gear is engaged in this pos ition. Only
select reverse when the vehicle is stationa ry and
the engine is ru nning at id le speed ¢.&. . T o en­
gage the R selector lever position, press the b rake pedal, press the lock ing button
CD on the
selecto r lever and select the R position ¢
fig. 83.
A confirmation tone wi ll sound when the reve rse
gear is engaged.
84
N -Neutral (idle )
The t ransmission is in idle in th is position. To en­
gage the N selector lever position, press the lock ­
i ng button
CD on the se lector lever and shift into
the N position ¢
fig. 83.
If you switch the engine off when the N posit io n
i s selected, the transmission remains in N for ap ­
prox imately 30 minutes and then P is engaged.
You cannot se lect t he N pos ition when the ig ni­
tion is swi tched off. When dr iv ing th rough an au­
tomat ic car wash, fi rst select the N position and
then turn the eng ine off.
Fo r safety reasons, the veh icle canno t be loc ked
whe n the t ransmiss io n is in the N pos it ion.
D IS -Driving forward
When the transm iss ion is in the D/S posit ion, it
can be operated either in the norma l D mode or
i n the S sport mode. Move the selector lever bac k
to engage the S sport mode. You ca n only se lect
the S se lector lever position when the Dor E pos i­
tion is se lected . To select the Dor E position
again when S is engaged, move the selector lever back ¢&. . To sh ift from N to D when traveling at
speeds below 1 mph (2 km/h), press the brake pedal and shift into the D position¢&. .
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio. It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driving
style.
Se lect the
sport mode S fo r sporty driving . The
vehicle makes f ull use of the engine 's power.
Sh ift ing may become noticeable when accelerat­
i ng .
The S selector lever posit ion engages automati ­
ca lly when you select
dynamic mode in drive se­
l ect*.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS.
-The vehicle can roll even if the ignit ion is
sw itched off.

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

Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your veh icle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always che ck with the t rail ­
er hitch man ufac tur er to make s ure t hat you are
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck that all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely f aste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hit ch
from caus ing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind ¢
,&..
Trailer brakes
If you r trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
90
The t rai ler hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
bra ke system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween you r vehi cle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regula tions . B e s ure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
r ec t wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see t he traffic behind you us­
i ng t he regular outs ide mirrors, then yo u
must in­
stall ex tended mirrors . It is impo rtant that you
al ways have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tc h, do not s tore
it i n y our vehicle. In case o f su dden brak ing,
the hitch could fly fo rward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra iler f or yo ur vehicle is lim ite d to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the t rai le r i s he ld se curely in
pla ce to p reve nt i t from shi fting forwar d, bac k­
ward or si deways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ¢ &.
in Driver messages on page 91.
Engine cooling system
Towi ng a tra iler makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure tha t
the coo ling system has enoug h fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire p ressure listed under "Full
load" on the t ire press ure label. The t ire pressure
1111-

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

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