2018 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
.,. To shift down a gear, tap the 0 shift paddle.
.. To engage the lowest gear, hold the 0 shift
paddle.
.. If you do not press a shift button within a short
time while in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep shifting using the shift paddles, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position .
.,. When you want to shift out of tiptronic mode,
press and hold the
0 shift paddle for a longer
period of time or move the selector lever back
and release it.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
@ Tips
- If you shift to the next lowest gear, the
transmission will only shift if the engine will
not be over-revved.
- With kick-down, the transmission shifts to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle speed and
engine speed.
- tiptronic does not work if the transmission
is running in emergency mode.
Kick-down
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transm issions
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistance point, the automatic trans ­
mission downshifts into a lower gear and the en­
gine utilizes its full power , depending on vehicle
speed and engine RPM. It shifts up into the next
higher gear once the maximum specified engine
RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive .
-
Driving
Launch control program
Applies to: vehicles with S tronic transmission
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop .
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned .
.. Deactivate the Start/Stop system* c> page 87 .
The LED in the ICA> ~I button turns on .
.. Applies to: seda n: Press the I.B OFFI button
briefly while the engine is running
c> page 147.
The II indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage
Stabilization control (ESC): sport. Warn·
ing! Restricted stability
appears in the instru­
ment cluster display .
.. Applies to: allroad: Press the i.i, O FF I button
briefly while the engine is
running ¢ page 147.
The II indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage
Stabilization control (ESC): offroad.
Warning! Reduced stability
appears in the in­
strument cluster display .
.. Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position or select the
Dynamic driving mode in drive se-
lect* ¢ page 134 .
.,. Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least one
second .
.. At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal within
five
seconds ¢,,&. .
A WARNING ~
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode/offroad mode is switched on, espe­
cially when the road is slippery.
95

Driving
-Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I ~ OF F! button briefly to turn the sport
mode/offroad mode off.
(D Tips
- The t ransmiss ion temperature may increase
significantly after using t he launch control
program. If that happens, the pr ogram may
not be available for a few m inutes. It w ill be
available again after a cool-down period.
- When acce le rating using the launch control
program, all veh icle parts are subject to
heavy loads. Th is can lead to increased
wear.
Transmission malfunction
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith a utomat ic tr an smi ssio ns
• Transmission: too hot. Plea se stop vehicle
Do not cont inue drivi ng. Select the P se lector lev­
er pos ition and contact an a uthorized Audi dea ler
or author ized Audi Se rvic e Facil ity for assistance .
• Transmission: malfunction! Please stop ve­
hicle and shift to P
Do not cont in ue drivi ng . Select the P se lector lev­
er position and contact an a uthorized Aud i dea ler
or author ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
[i1 Selector lever: malfunction! You may contin­
ue driving. Please contact Service
T here is a system mal fun ction in t he t ransm is­
sion. Drive to an au thorized A udi dealer or au ­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have
the ma lfunction co rrected .
[O] P button : malfunction! Auto P when engine
off. Please contact Service
T here is a malfunc tion in the P button on these­
lec to r l ever. The tran smission a utomat ic a lly en ­
g ag es in P when you sw itch off the e ng ine . D rive
t o an author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
[O] Transmis sion : malfunction! Gear change on ­
ly possible using both paddle levers. Please con­
tact Se rvice
96
There is a system malfunc tion in the transmis ­
s ion . You can continue dr iv ing with restricted
funct io n. The se lector lever is not work ing. Gears
can on ly be selected by tapping both s hift pad­
dles at t he same time when the vehicle is stat ion­
a ry
r=> page 94, fig. 100 . Pay attention to these­
l ected tra nsmissio n position in t he instr ument
cl uster disp lay. The p arking lock eng ages auto­
ma tic ally when yo u turn off the engi ne. Drive to
an authorized Aud i de aler or aut horized Au di
Se rvice Fa cility immedi ate ly to have the malfunc ­
tion corrected .
[i1 Transmission: please press brake pedal and
select gear again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se­
l ector l ever posi tion again . Yo u can then co nti nu e
dr iv ing .
[i1 Transmission: too hot . Please adapt driving
style
The transmission temperature has increased sig­ nificantly due to the sporty dr iv ing manner. Drive
i n a less spo rty manner unti l the temperatu re re ­
turns to t he norma l ra nge and t he i ndica tor lig ht
swi tches of.
[i1 Transmission: malfunction! You can contin ­
ue driving. See owner's manual
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
s ion. Y ou may contin ue dr iving. Dr ive t o an a u­
thorized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi Se rvice
Fac ility soon to have the ma lfunc tion corrected.
[i1 Transmission: malfunction! You can contin­
ue dr iving in D until engine off
There is a system mal function in the transmis ­
s ion . The transm ission is switch ing to eme rge ncy
mode.
If you turn the engine of f, you w ill not be
able t o se lect any othe r se lector lever positions
after sta rting the engine aga in. Drive to an au­
t h orized Aud i dea le r or authorized Audi Service
Fac il ity i mmed iate ly to have the malfu nction cor­
r ected .
[i1 Transmission: malfunction! You may contin ­
ue driving (limited functionality ). Please con-
tact Service
..,_

There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emergency
mode. This mode only shifts into certa in gears or
will no longer shift at all. The engine may stall.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
DD Transm ission: malfunction! You may contin­
ue driving. No reverse gear
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is sw itching to emergency
mode. This mode only shifts into certa in gears or
will no longer shift at all. The engine may stall.
You cannot engage the reverse gear . Drive to an
author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the malfunction cor·
r ected.
DD Danger of rolling away! P not possible .
Please apply parking brake
- The parking lock was released using the emer­ gency release
c'.> page 9 7. Or
- The parking lock can no longer be engaged .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author·
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
DD Move selector lever to automatic position
There is a malfunction in the tiptronic mode. End
tiptronic mode by pushing the selector lever to
the left into the D/5 position.
Driving
Parking lock emergency release
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
The parking lock must be released with the
emergency release when driving through moun­ tains/maneuvering.
Fig. 101 Front cup holde r: removing the cover
N 0
~ co m
Fig. 102 Front cup holde r: parking lock emergency release
The emergency release is located in the front cup
holder under a cover
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
... To prevent the vehicle from rolling unintention­
ally, set the parking
brake(®) c::> page 88 or
press the brake pedal.
.,. Remove the rubber mat .
.,. T here is one slit opening on the cover . Use the
screwdr iver (from vehicle tool kit) to pry the
cover off at the opening
c'.> fig. 101 .
.,. Insert the socket wrench (from the vehicle tool
kit) into the ope ning c'.>fig.
102 .
... Tur n the socket wre nch all the way clockwise (D
and press it downward @ until it locks into
p lace .
... Leave the socket wrench inserted c'.> A.
Resetting the parking lock
.,. Press the brake pedal and start the engine.
97

Driving
"' Keep the brake pedal pressed and engage the
fo llowing se lector lever positions one after the
other: N, D and back to N.
"' Turn the eng ine off again .
"' Grasp the socket wrench w ith both hands and
pull it up and out carefully to remove
<=> (D .
"' Reinsert the cover and rubbe r mat.
When the parking lock emergency re lease is
used, the
mJ ind icator light and the N selector
lever position tu rn on in the instrument cluster .
The message
Dang er of rolling away! P not pos­
s ible . Please apply parking brake
a lso appea rs .
.&_ WARNING
- Only activ ate the emerge ncy re le ase while
on a level s urface o r a slig ht slope.
- T he pa rking lock may only be released using
the emergency release if the parking brake
is set. If i t is not functioning, secure the ve­
hicle from rolling using the brake peda l or
other s uitab le means, s uch as blocking a
front and a rear wheel. An unsec ured vehicle
may roll away, wh ich increases the r isk of an
acc ident.
- To reduce the risk of an accident, you m ust
not drive when the eme rgency re lease is ac­
t ivated.
(D Note
- Read and fo llow the impo rtant instr uctions
abo ut towing<=>
page 376.
- The risk of damage increases if you do not
r emove the socket wrench carefully when
resett ing the pa rking lock.
98
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a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
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, econo­ my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For 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 trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
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 modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage shou ld your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer towing
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake
system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
rect wiring, switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
After removing the traile r hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ¢.&.
in Driver messages on page 100 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the label ¢ page 344. Inflate trailer
99

Trailer towing
tires to tra iler and tire manufacturers ' specifica­
tions.
Lights
The headlig ht settings should be chec ked with
the t railer at tached before d riving off. Check to
make su re both vehicle and trailer lights are
wo rking properly.
Safety chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trai le r to the h itch on the veh icle.
L eave enough sla ck in the c ha ins to permi t turn­
ing corners . When you install safety chains, ma ke
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when yo u are
driv ing .
The cha ins shou ld cross u nder the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropp ing in case of separation
from the h itch .
Driver messages
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution.
Weight d istribution
Towing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car resu lts
in a hig hly unstable dist ribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing s teering con trol.
A "balanced " rig is eas ier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible , while
keep ing the tra ile r as lig ht as possib le under t he
circumstances . Whenever possible, t ransfer
some cargo to the l uggage compartment of the
tow vehicle whi le observ ing tongue load req uire­
ments and ve hicle loading conside rat ions.
Speed
The h igher the speed, the more d ifficult i t be­
comes for the drive r to contro l the rig. Do not
d rive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weath er or w ind
conditions are unfavorable
-part icularly when
going downhill.
100
Reduce vehicle speed immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swa ying by a ccelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds fo r
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
Always apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down­
hill, shift in to a lower gea r to use the eng ine
b raking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
bra kes alone can cause them to overheat and fai l.
Coolant temperature
The coo lant tempe rat ure gauge 9 page 11 must
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
can increase i f you drive o n long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds . Reduce your speed
immediately if the LEDs in th e top part of the dis­
play turn on.
For more info rmation abou t indicator lig hts, re­
fer
to . ~page 30 .
A WARNING
Anyone not prope rly 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 wear ing 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 ca refu l­
l y you load your tra ile r and ope rate yo ur rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep pract icing u ntil you have be­
come complete ly familiar w ith the way yo ur vehi­
cl e- tra ile r combination behaves and respo nds.

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
Backing up is difficult and requires pract ice .
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
i ng action oppos ite to that when backing up your
ve hicle w ithout a trailer.
M ain tain a greater d istance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. Yo u wi ll nee d more
room to stop. To compensate fo r th e tra iler, yo u
will need a larger than no rmal turn ing rad ius.
When pass ing, remembe r th at you ca nnot accel ­
erate as fast as you norma lly wou ld because of
the added load. Make s ure yo u have eno ugh room
to pass. After passing , allow plenty of room fo r
your tra ile r before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, s harp turns or ra pid lane
changes .
(D Tips
-Do not tow a trailer during t he br eak -in per i­
o d of yo ur vehicle .
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex ­
tra load
~ page 3 83.
Parking on a slope
D o not pork on o slope with o trailer . If it canno t
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply the f oot brake .
.. Have someone p lace chock s under both the ve­
hicle and the tra il e r whee ls .
.. Wi th chocks in p lace, slowly release t he b rakes
u nti l the w hee l chocks absor b the load .
.. Turn the wheels towa rds the curb .
.. Apply the pa rking brake .
.. Move the se lector lever to P (a utomat ic t rans­
mission) respectively select first gear (manual
t ransm iss io n).
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot b rake .
.. Start the engine .
.. Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmis­
sion: Move the selector lever to D/S .
.. Release t he pa rking bra ke and s low ly pull ou t
and away from t he whee l chocks .
Trailer towing
.. Stop an d have someone retrieve the whee l
choc ks.
101

Ass is tance sy stems
Assistance systems
Electronic speed Limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with tires
that are rated for a maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the maximum speed
of your vehicle. To reduce the risk of sudden tire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operat­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electronic speed limiter. The electronic speed
lim iter prevents your vehicle from going faster
than the t ire speed rating. For mo re information
<=>page 334.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed signals, the Malfunction Indicator
L amp (MIL)
¢..ffi will illumina te. If this occurs,
con tact the nearest au thorized A ud i dealer for
assistance.
_& WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust you r speed to suit prevailing road, traf­
fic and weather conditions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than the maximum speed rating
of the tires installed.
Speed warning system
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay be­
low a specified maximum speed that can be set,
changed or deleted in the Infotainment system.
-
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
A wa rning tone will sound as soon as you r speed
ex ceeds the s tored v alue s light ly. Th e indicato r
light also turns on in the instrument cluster dis­
p lay
ct] (USA models)/ [SJ (Canada models) and
a message . The indicator light
(CJ / [SJ and the
message turn off if the speed falls back be low
the stored maximum speed.
Se tting a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gener-
102
al speed limit or if there is a spec ified maximum
speed for winter tires.
Setting the warning threshold
Se lect in the Infotainment system: I ME NU I but­
ton
> Vehicle > left co ntro l bu tton > Driver as sis­
tance
> Speed warning > Manu al.
(D Tips
Regard less of the speed warning sys tem, you
shou ld alw ays mo nitor your speed using the
speedometer a nd make sure yo u are fo llow ing
the lega l speed limit.
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at
15 mph
(20kmlh).
0
f
~
0
Fig . 103 Operat ing lever: c ru ise control system
.,. To switch the system on, pu ll the lever into po -
sition@<=> fig. 103 .
.. Drive at the speed to be mai ntained.
.. To store the speed, press the button @.
The stored speed and the
ftji(l)~14 (USA models) I
l'I (Cana da models) indicator light appear in the
instrument cluster display. An additional indica­
tor appears in the head-up display *.
The speed is maintained by modifying engine
power or through an active brake intervention.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise control system is in
-