2017 AUDI A4 trailer

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

Driving Starting the engine when there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine under certain circumstances, for example if the battery
in the vehicle key is drained, if interference is af­
fected the key or if there is a system malfunc­
tion.
Fig. 78 Center console/remote contro l key: starting the
eng ine if there is a m alfunction
Requirement: the message Remote control key:
hold back of key against the designated area.
See owner's manual must display and the D)in­
dicator light must turn on.
.. Place the remote control key on the location
shown in the illustration
y>l) ~ fig. 78.
.. Press the brake pedal~ A in Starting the en­
gine on page
76.
.. Press the l~S_T_A_R_T_E_N_G_I_N_E_S_T_O_P_I button . The
engine will start .
.. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
You can view the message again by pressing the
I START ENGINE STOP! button.
Start/Stop system
Description
App lies to: ve hicles w ith S ta rt-Sto p system
The Start/Stop system can help increase fuel
economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
l ) Market -spe cific
78
In Start/Stop mode, the engine shuts off auto ­
matically when the vehicle is stopped, such as at
a traffic light. The ignition remains switched on
during this stop phase. The engine will restart automatically when needed.
The Start/Stop system is automatically activated as soon as the ignition is switched on.
Basic requirements for Start/Stop mode
-The driver's door must be closed.
- The driver 's seat belt much be fastened.
- The hood must be closed .
- The vehicle must have driven faster than
2 mph
(3 km/h) since the last time it stopped .
- A trailer must not be hitched to the vehicle .
If you leave the vehicle during a stop phase, the
engine can be restarted within approximately 30
seconds if the following requirements are met:
- The driver's door must be closed , the driver
must be wearing the safety belt and the brake
pedal must be pressed . Or:
- The driver's door must be closed, the brake
pedal must be pressed and a gear must be se­
lected.
({D Note
Always switch the Start/Stop system off when
driving through water
~page 78.
(D Tips
The engine stops shortly before the vehicle
comes to a stop
l). The full function of the
brake booster and the power steering is still
available.

Driving
A WARNING
-Always switch th e ignit ion off and take the
vehicle key with you when leav ing the veh i­
cle, eve n for a short per iod of t ime . This ap­
plies particularly when chi ld ren remain in
the ve hicle. Othe rwi se, children coul d sta rt
the engine, re le ase the p arki ng bra ke o r op­
er ate ele ctrica l equipmen t such as power
windows, which increases the risk of an acci ­
dent.
- When the vehicle is loc ke d , no one -particu ­
larly not children -sho uld rema in in the ve­
hicle . Locked doors make it more difficult
f or eme rgency workers to get into the vehi­
cle, which p uts lives at risk.
Starting from a stop
The hold assist function ensures that the parking
brake releases automatically when the vehicle
starts moving .
Stopping and setting the parking brake
" Pull th@(®) switch to s@t th @ parking bra k@ .
Starting and automat ically releasing the
parking brake
" When you pr ess t he accelerator pedal, the
par king b rake is autom atically released and
yo ur vehicle begins to move.
T he parki ng b rake c an be set if you must s top the
ve hicl e at a stop lig ht or in t raff ic. Th e ve hicle
does not have to be he ld with the brake pedal.
The parking brake e liminates the tendency to
creep when a selector lever position is engaged .
The par king b rake releases automatica lly and the
ve hicle beg ins to move as soon as you press the
accelerator pedal as usual.
Starting on hills
When starting on hills, hill start assist prevents
the vehicle from un intent iona lly rolling back. The
braking force of the parking brake does not re­
lease until the wheels bu ild up enoug h driving
force.
82
(D Tips
Fo r safety reasons, the par king brake only re­
l eases automatically when the drive r's door is
closed.
Starting to drive with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on a hill,
do the following:
.. Keep the(®} switch pulled and press the acce l­
erator pedal. The parking brake remains set
and prevents the ve hicle from roll ing backwar d.
.. You can release the<®> switch once you a re sure
that you are giv ing enough driv ing force to the
wheels by pressing the accelerator pedal.
Depend ing on the weight of t he rig (vehicle and
trailer) and the steepness of the incline, you may
r oll backward as you start.
Emergency braking function
In the event that the standard brake system fails
or locks up.
.. To brake your veh icle in an eme rgency, pull the
<® > switch and ho ld it pulled.
.. As soon as you re lease the <®> switch or acceler-
ate, the braking stops.
P ulli ng and ho ld ing the C®l switch wh ile driving
the ve hicle activates the eme rgency brak ing func­
tion. The ve hicle brakes at all four wheels by acti­
vat ing the braking hydraulics . T he braking effect
i s sim ila r to mak ing a n emergency stop .
Q &
To reduce the risk of act ivat ing the emergency
braking by m istake, an audib le warning tone
(buzzer) sounds w hen the C®l switch is pulled.
Emergency b raking s tops as soon as th e<®>
switch is re leas ed or the ac celerator p eda l is
presse d.
A WARNING
Eme rgen cy braking sho uld only be used i n an
emergency, when the normal brake pedal has
failed or the brake peda l is obst ructed. Using
the park ing bra ke for emergency b raking w ill
~

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

Assist
Audi pre sense rear
Description
App lies to: ve hicles w ith Audi side assist
If the risk of a collision is detected, the following
functions can trigger:
- Reversible tensioning of the front safety belts
at the corresponding speeds .
- Closing the windows and sunroof*.
- Inflating the side bolsters* in the seat backrest
and seat surface.
- Switching on the emergency flashers with in-
creased frequency
l ).
The message Audi pre sense. ~ page 108,
fig. 104 will warn you about the danger.
Aud i drive select*: the function is not active de­
pending on the mode selected.
A WARNING
- To reduce the risk of an accident, please
note that the side assist* radar sensors do
not always detect every object.
- Pre sense rear does not react to people, ani­
mals or objects that are crossing the vehi­
cle's path or that are difficult to detect.
- Reflective objects such as guard rails, heavy
rain and ice can impair the function of the
radar sensors and the ability to detect a col­
lision risk .
(D Note
The radar sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. Pre sense rear can be impaired by
this . Have an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facil ity check their func­
tion.
(0 Tips
- The pre sense rear functions switch off
when towing a trailer.
- The pre sense rear functions may also
switch off if there is a malfunction in the
side assist* system.
1> This is not ava ilab le in some co untri es.
110
Audi pre sense city
' Description
App lies to : vehicles wit h Audi pre sense city
Within the limits of the system, pre sense city
can warn you of impending collisions with
vehicles and pedestrians and initiate the applica­
ble braking maneuver if needed. Pre sense city is
active at a speed of 6 mph (9 km/h) and higher.
A pedestrian warning can occur at speeds up to 50 mph (85 km/h), and vehicle warnings can oc­
cur at speeds up to 155 mph (250 km/h). A pre
sense city braking maneuver is possible at speeds
up to 50 mph (85 km/h).
Warnings
App lies to: vehicles wit h Aud i pre sense city
The system recognizes various dangerous situa­
tions. The
early warning occurs when:
- a vehicle driving ahead brakes sudden ly,
- your own vehicle approaches a sign ificantly
slower vehicle or stationary vehicle in the direc­
tion of travel.
- a pedestrian is standing in the lane or is moving
into the lane.
When this warning occurs, it may only be possi­
ble to avo id a collision by swerving or braking
strongly. The message
Audi pre sense.
~ page 108, fig. 104 and a warning tone will
warn you about the danger.
Additionally, a jerk on the brakes may occur as an
acute warning when there is an impend ing colli­
sion . If you do not react to the acute warning, pre
sense city can brake to the point of complete de­
ce leration within the limits of the system. This
reduces the vehicle speed in the event of a colli­
sion. The message
Audi pre sense. also ap­
pears.
The following functions are triggered in conjunc­
tion with pre sense basic/rear:
- Reversible tensioning of the front safety belts .
- Closing the windows and sunroof*. ..,

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
-Inflating the side bolsters* in the seat backrest
and s eat surfac e.
Aud i drive select*: the function is not active de ­
pending on the mode selected.
A WARNING -,..___
-Pre sense city cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It is a system designed to assist and
it cannot prevent a collision in every circum­
stance. The driver must always intervene.
The driver is always responsible for braking at the correct time . Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks.
This could increase your risk of a collision .
- The system can deploy incorrectly due to
system-specific limits.
- To reduce the risk of an accident, please
note that the camera does not always detect
every object .
- Pre sense city does not react to animals,
crossing or oncoming vehicles, objects such
as bars, railings or railcars, and objects that
are difficult to detect~&.
in General infor­
mation on page 97.
A WARNING
Pre sense city may be restricted or not availa­
ble in the following example situations:
- in heavy fog, rain, spray or snow.
- when there are visual obstructions, such as
glare, reflections or var iations in light.
- when it is dark .
- if the camera window or the windshield is
dirty, iced over, damaged or covered .
- when driving on snow, ice or loose ground .
- on sharp curves.
- if the ESC was restricted or switched off .
- when towing a trailer.
- when the driver's seat belt is unfastened.
- up to ten seconds after sw itching on the ig-
nition.
1 ) Thi s is no t avail able in some c oun tries.
Assist
(D Note
Impacts or damage to the camera mount on
the windshield can displace the sensor . Pre
sense city can be impaired by this. Have an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility check their function .
(i) Tips
-You can cancel the system braking interven­
tion if you accelerate considerably or swerve
away .
- Keep in mind that pre sense city can brake
unexpectedly. Always secure any cargo or
objects that you are transporting to reduce
the risk of damage or injury.
- When there is a malfunction in the camera,
the pre sense city functions also switch off.
Settings in the
Infotainment system
Applies to: vehicles with Aud i pre sense
.,. Select in the Infotainment system: I MEN U! but­
ton
> Vehicle > left control button > Driver as­
s ist > Audi pre sense.
Audi pre sense-
switch On/Off. You can switch
the pre sense functions on and off with th is.
If the system is switched off, it switches on again
automatically once the ignition is switched on
again
l ).
Early warning1
) -the early warning can be
switched off or the pre sense city/front warning
point
( Early /Mediu m/La te) can be set .
Driver messages
Applies to: vehicles with Aud i pre sense
fll Audi pre sense currently restricted. Restrict­
ed sensor vision due to surroundings. See own­
er's manual
This message appears if the radar sensor and
camera view is obstructed, for example by leaves,
snow, heavy spray or dirt . If necessary , clean the .,..
111