2018 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
20 minutes, depending on the outside
temperature.
To keep the rear window defogger on contin uous­
l y, press and hold the
QWREAR button longer
than
3 seconds. This is stored unti l the ignition is
switched off .
SYNC Synchronization
Use the rocker switc h® to sele ct the funct ion.
When synch ronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's side are applied to the front
passenger's side and the rear (except for seat
heating/venti lation*) . When the settings on the
front passenger's side or in the rear are changed,
the synchron iz at ion is automatically sw itched off
and
3 -z one appears in the display .
SET REAR function
Use t he rocker switch ® to select the function .
When the function is switched on, you can adjust
all settings for the rear us ing the climate control
system controls in the cockpit. The rear climate
control system controls cannot be operated at
the same time . This function switches off auto­
mat ically after a certain period of time or after
leaving the menu.
Vent s
You can open or close the center and rear vents in
the cockpit and the vents in the rear center con­
sole us ing the r idged thumbwheels . The levers
adjust the d irection of the airflow from the vents.
The wide vent is opened and closed using the
r ocker switch
® ·
Residu al heat
You can activate the residual heat funct ion when
the ignition is switched off by pressing the knob
(D . The res idual heat from the coolant is used to
h eat the vehicle inte rior. The residual heat func­
tion swi tches off automatically afte r abou t 15
minu tes .
A WARNING
- You should not use the recirculation mode for an exten ded period of time, because no
fresh a ir is drawn in and the w indows can
Warm and c old
fog when cooling mode is switched off. This
increases the r isk of an accident.
- Individuals with reduced sensitivity to pain
or temperature could develop burns when
using the seat heat ing* function. To reduce
the risk of injury, these individua ls should
not use seat heating*.
(D Note
To avoid damaging the seat heat ing* ele­
ments, do not knee l on the seats or place
heavy pressure on one area of the seat.
Setup
The climate control system basic settings ore ac­
cessed in the Infotainment system .
.,. Select in the Infotainment system : I MENU! but­
ton
> Vehicle > l eft control button > Ai r co ndi ­
tioning
Auto recircu lation
When switched on, a utomat ic rec irculat ion con­
trols the recircu lation mode automatically . You
must press the
®MAX button if fog forms on
the windows.
Automatic auxiliary heater*
T he aux iliary hea ter he lps to wa rm the vehicle in ­
terior more q uickly.
Steering wheel heating
Applies to: vehicles with steering wheel heating
The steering wheel rim con be heated.
.,. Press the bu tton on the m ultif unct ion steeri ng
wheel to switch the steering whee l heating on
and
off~ r=:> poge 15, fig . 11 . The message
Steering wheel heating : on /Steering wheel
heating: off
appears in the instrument cluster
disp lay.
The temperature is maintained at a constant lev­ el when steering wheel heating is switched on .
T he s teer ing whee l heating se tt ings a re stored
automat ica lly and assigned to the remo te control
key that is in use.
79

Driving
Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in for the first 1,000 mi les (1,500 km). Do not drive at speeds
that will exceed 2/3 of the maximum perm itted
engine speed (RPM) for the first 600 miles
(1,000 km), and avoid full acceleration during
this period . You may gradually start increasing
the RPM and the speed between 600 miles (1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500 km) .
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
h igher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven during the first 1,000
miles (1,500 km) also affects the engine quality.
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in period, particularly when running a cold
engine. This will reduce engine wear and improve
the mileage .
Do not drive at too low of an engine speed (RPM) .
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­ ly". Extremely high engine speeds are automati­
cally reduced .
Reducing the risk of vehicle damage
(D Note
When driving on poor roads, by curbs and on
steep ramps, make su re that low-hang ing
components such as the spoi ler and exhaust
system do not come into contact with these
or they could be damaged. This especially ap­
plies to vehicles with low ground clearance
and vehicles that are heavily loaded.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of vehicle
damage when driv ing through water, for example
on flooded roads:
-The water must not be any higher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body .
80
-Do not drive faster than walking speed .
A WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the effec­
tiveness of the brakes may be reduced due to
moisture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake applications should dry
off the brakes and restore the full braking ef­
fect .
{CT) Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys-
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water .
-Always switch the Start/Stop system* off
when driving through water <=:>page
85.
@ Tips
-Determine the depth before driving through
water.
-Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water .
'
-Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safe ly .
-Avoid driving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion .
Economical and environmentally -friendly
dr iving
The amount of fuel consumption, the environ­
mental impact and the wear to the engine,
brakes and tires depends mostly on your driving
style. With an anticipatory and economic driving
style, fuel consumption can be reduced by ap­ proximately 10-15%. The following tips will help
you conserve the environment and your money at the same time .
Anticipatory driving
A vehicle uses the most fuel when accelerating.
When you drive with anticipation, you do not need to brake as often and so you accelerate less.
When possible, let your vehicle coast with a gear
..,.

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
engaged, for example when you notice that the next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con ­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari­
ly.
Applies to: vehicles with manual transmission
Shift as soon as possible from first to second
gear. S hifting to the next highest gear at approxi­
mately 2,000 RPMs if poss ible is recommended.
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
Press down on the acce le rator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Driving more slowly saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped at railroad cross ings and long
r ed lights. Stopping the engine for 30-40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en­
g ine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially h igh in the wa rm-up
phase . Therefore, you should begi n driving im­
mediately a fter starting the engine . Avoid high
RPMs while do ing this .
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your veh icle, yo u ca n he lp to reduce f uel con­
sumption before yo u even start to drive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but a l-
Driving
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main ­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that is 10% higher than norma l.
Avoid short trips
The eng ine and exhaust cleaning system must
reach their optimal operat ing temperatu re to ef­
f ectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high
amount of fue l. The engine reaches operating
temperat ure and consumption normalizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 miles (4 km).
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in­
flated to the correct press ure
~ page 344. The
fuel consumption can increase by 5% if the pres­
s u re is only 0.5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures wi ll also
l ead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year-round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
S in ce eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
consumption , a quick inspection of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces ­
sary weight .
When not be ing used , a roof rack should be re­
moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle. This will save you approximately 12% fuel
at speeds from 62 -75 mph (100 - 120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine drives the generator, which generates
electric ity; the fuel consumpt io n also incr eases
with the demand for electr icity. The refore, switch
electrical eq uipment off when you no longer
need it . Examples of equipment that uses a lo t of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights shou ld come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
81

Driving
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book ­
let . Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap­proved by the manufacturer .
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other
important vehicle components.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel position
The steering wheel position is adjustable up and
down and forward and back.
Fig. 92 S tee rin g col umn : le ver to adjus t the stee ring w heel
posit ion
82
.,. Pull the lever in the direction of the arrow
c::, A -
... Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi­
tion .
.,. Push the lever against the steering column un­
til it is secure .
_&. WARNING
Incorrect use of the steering wheel adjust­
ment and an incorrect seating position can
cause serious injuries.
- Only adjust the steering column when the
vehicle is stationary so that you do not lose
control of the vehicle.
-
-Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is at least a 10 in (2S cm) dis­
tance between your chest and the steering
wheel. If you do not maintain this distance,
the airbag system will not be able to provide
its full protection.
-If your physical characteristics prevent you
from sitting at least 10 in (2S cm) or more
away from the steering
wheel, see if an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility can provide adapters that
will help .
- If your face is level with the steering wheel,
the airbag does not provide as much protec­
tion during a collision . Always make sure
that the steering wheel is level with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of injury if the airbag
deploys.
- Never hold the steering wheel in the 12
o'clock position or with both hands on the
rim or the center of the steering wheel.
Holding the steering wheel incorrectly sig­
nificantly increases the risk of injury to the
hands, arms and head if the driver airbag
deploys .

Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The I S TAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button switches the
ignition on and starts the engine.
F ig . 93 Cockp it: START ENGINE S TOP button
Starting the engin e
Applies to: vehicles with manual transmission
.. Press the clutch pedal all the way down and
move the sh ift lever to the neutr al position.
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
.,. Press the brake pedal.
.. Press the I START E NG IN E STOPI button
¢ fig . 93 . The engine will sta rt.
.,. T he re may be a s light de lay w hen start ing the
engine i n diese l vehicles in colder tempera­
tures . Therefore, yo u must con tinue pressing
the clutch pedal (manual transmission) or the
brake pedal (automatic transmission) until the
engine starts. The
Iii indicator light t urns on
whi le the engine is preheating .
Switching the ignition on /off
If yo u wou ld like to swi tc h t he ign ition on wi th­
out starting the engine, fol low these steps:
.,. Press t he I S T AR T ENG IN E ST OPI button with­
o ut press ing the clutch pe dal (for manual
transm iss ions) or the brake peda l (f or au toma t­
ic transmissions). Ve hicles w ithout the S tart/
Stop system *: the needle in the tachometer
moves into the
READ Y position .
.. To switch the ign ition off, press the button
again. The needle in the tachometer moves into
the
OFF posit ion.
D rivi ng
The prewa rming runs automat ica lly in diesel
vehicles when the ign ition is switched on .
E q uipment tha t uses a lot of e lec tricity is sw itch­
ed off temporarily when you start the engine.
If the engi ne does not s tart immediately , the
sta rt ing procedure stops a utomat ica lly af ter a
sho rt time. Repea t the sta rting proced ure.
Start /Stop system*
See the information in c:> page 85, Start/Stop
system .
A WARNING
=
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never allow
the eng ine to run in co nfined spaces .
Q) Note
Avoid high engine speed, full th rottle, and
heavy engine load if the engine has not
r eached operat ing temperatu re ye t. You could
damage the eng ine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the e ngin e run wh ile pa rked to
warm up . Beg in dr iving immed iate ly . Thi s
re­
duces un necessa ry emissions.
a) Tips
- Some noise afte r start ing the engine is nor­
ma l and is no caus e for conce rn .
- If you leave t he ve hicle w ith the ignition
switched on, the ig nit ion w ill switch off af­
ter a ce rtain amount of time . Ma ke sure t hat
elec trical e quipment such as the exterio r
ligh ts a re swi tched off .
Starting the eng ine
.. Bri ng the veh icle to a full sto p .
.. Press the !S TAR T ENGINE ST OP ! button
c:>
page 83, fig. 93.
-
83

Driving
St ee ring lock1
)
The stee ring locks when you t urn the engine off
using the
! S T A RT ENGINE ST OP I button and
open the driver 's door. The locked steering helps
prevent v ehicle theft .
Emergency off function*
If it is abso lutely necessary, the engine can also
be turned off while dr iv ing at speeds star ting at
4 mph (7 km/h). To switch the eng ine off, press
the
! S TAR T ENGINE ST OP I button tw ice in a row
briefly or press and hold for longer than two sec­
onds.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the veh icle
has come to a comp lete stop . The full func­
t ion of the brake booster and the power
stee ring is not guaranteed. Yo u must use
more force to turn or b rake . Because you
cannot s teer an d brake as you usu ally
would, t his co uld lead to accidents and ser i­
ous in juries.
- Alw ays t ake the key wi th you w henever you
leave you r vehicle . Othe rw ise, the engi ne
cou ld be started o r electrical equipment
s uch as the power windows cou ld be operat­
ed . This can lead to se rious injury.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
with the se lector lever in the P position
(a u­
tomat ic transmission) or with 1st gear en­
gaged (manual transmission). Otherwise
the vehicle could roll away u nintent ionally .
(D Note
If the eng ine has been under heavy load for
an extended per iod of t ime, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
sw itched off and there is a risk of damaging
the engi ne . For this reason, let the engi ne run
for at idle for approximately two minutes
be­
fore shutting it off.
l) Th is fun ction is not avai la bl e in al l co un tries.
84
(D Tips
Fo r u p to 10 minutes after stopping the en­
g ine, the radiator fan may turn on again auto­
matically or it may continue to r un (even if
the ig nition is switched off) for the following
r easons:
- The coolant temperature is increas ing due
to trapped heat.
- If the eng ine is wa rm and the eng ine com­
partment a lso heats up from strong sun­
light .
- Applies to: vehicles with diesel particulate
filter: The emissions control system is heat­
ed through the regeneration process, even if
the engine has not reached its operat ing
tempe rature yet.
Messages
Engin e running . Warning! Turn off ignition be ­
fore leavin g vehicle
This message appears and a warning tone sounds
i f you open the drive r's door w hen the eng ine is
r un ning .
Applies to: vehicles with manual transmission
Please pres s clutch pedal
This message appears if you do not press the
clutch pedal to start the eng ine. The engine can
o nly be started w hen the clutch pedal is pressed.
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
Plea se pres s brake pedal
This message appears if you do not press the
bra ke peda l when sta rting t he eng ine .
Ill Remote control key : key not recognized. Is
the key still in the vehicle ?
This indicator light turns on and this message ap­
pears if the ignition key was removed from the
vehicle when the engine was running . If the igni­
tion key is no longer in the vehicle, you cannot
switch on the ignition or start the engine once

you stop it. You also cannot lock the vehicle from
the outside .
Applies to: vehicles with au tomatic transm issions
Shift to P , otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if gearshift is not in P
This message appears for safety reasons if the
selector lever is in the N position when you
sw itch the ignition off. Move the selector leve r to
the P position. Otherwise the vehicle is not pro­
tected from ro lling and it cannot be locked .
DJ Remote control key: hold back of key
against the designated area . See owner 's man­
ual
If the indicator light turns on and th is message
appears, there is a malfunction
q page 85 .
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
Shift to P before leaving car, otherwise vehicle
can roll away
This message appears if the driver's door is
opened while the ignition is switched on and the
transmission has not been shifted to the P posi­
tion . Sh ift the transmiss ion into the P position
and turn off the ignition if you are leaving the ve­
hicle . Otherwise the vehicle could roll. Also see
c::> page87 .
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. 94 Cente r console/ remote contro l key: starting t he
eng ine if there is a malfunc tion
Driving
Requirement: the message Remote control key:
hold back of key against the designated area .
See owner's manual
must display and the DJ i n­
dicator light must turn on.
.,. Place the remote control key on the location
shown in the illustration
y >l) c::> fig . 94.
Applies to: vehicles with manual transmission
.,. Press the clutch pedal.
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
• Press the brake pedal.
.. Press the !START ENGINE STOP ! button. The
engine will start.
.,. Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Aud i Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
@ Tips
You can view the message again by pressing
the
I S TART ENGINE STOP I button.
Start/Stop system
Description
Applies to: vehicles with Start/Stop system
The Start/Stop system can help increase fue l
economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
In Sta rt/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 wi ll restart
automatica lly when needed .
Th e Start/Stop system is a utomaticall y 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 requi rements are met:
IJ>
85

Driving
-The driver's door must be closed, the driver's
safety belt must be fastened, and the brake peda l (automat ic transmission) or the clutch
pedal (manua l transmission) must be pressed.
Or:
-The driver's door must be closed, the brake
pedal (automat ic transmission) or the clutch
pedal (manua l transmission) must be pressed,
and a gear must be engaged.
(D Note
Always sw itch the Start/Stop system off when
driving through water
q page 85.
@ Tips
The engine stops shortly before the vehicle
comes to a stop
1) .
Stopping/starting the engine
Appl ies to: ve hicl es w ith Sta rt/Stop system
F ig . 95 Instrument cluste r: e ng ine sw itched off (stop
phase)
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith manu al transmiss ion
• When the vehicle is stat ionary, shift to neut ral
and release the clutch pedal. The eng ine will
switch off . The
II indicator light appears in the
information line at the bottom of the instru­
ment cluster d isp lay. The needle in the tachom­
eter also moves into the
R EADY position .
• The engine will resta rt if you press the clutch
pedal. The ind icator light turns off.
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith a uto mat ic t ra nsmi ssio ns
• B rake the vehicle to a stop . The engine stops
shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop or if
the ve hicle is stationary
l). Keep yo ur foot on
l) Ma rket -spe cifi c
86
the brake peda l. The II indica tor light appears
in the status line at the bottom of the instru ­
ment cluste r display. The need le in the tachom ­
eter also moves into the
READY1> posit ion.
• The engine starts again when you take your
foot off the brake pedal. The indicator light
turns off .
Additional information for automatic
transmissions
The eng ine stops in the P, N and D selector lever
pos itions.
If you se lect the R posit ion du ring a Stop phase,
the engine will start aga in.
Se lect the P position quickly to prevent the e n­
gine from starting u nintent ionally when shifting
through R .
You can determine for yourse lf if the engine wi ll
stop o r not by red ucing or inc reasing the amount
of force you use to press t he brake peda l. For ex­
amp le, if yo u only lightly press on the brake ped­
al in stop-and-go traffic or when turning, the en­
gine w ill not switch off when the vehicle is sta ­
tiona ry . A s soon as you press the b rake down
harde r, the engine wi ll swi tch off .
(0 Tips
-Press the brake peda l during a Stop phase
to keep the vehicle from rolling .
-The ignitio n will turn off if yo u press the
! S TART ENGINE STOPI butto n du ring a stop
phase. The needle in the tachomet er moves
into the
OFF position.
General information
App lies to: vehicles wi th Start/S top sys te m
The standard Start/Stop mode can be canceled
for various system-related reasons.
Engine does not switch off
Before and dur ing each stop phase, the system
checks if certain conditions have been met. If the
lilJ.