2018 AUDI A4 tow

Driving
the desired position . The selector lever will re­
turn to its original position.
F or examp le, you c an skip over the
N posit ion if
you would like to go directly from D into
R.
Selector lever lock
The se lector lever lock prevents you from se lect­
i n g a position un intent ionally, causing the vehicle
to ro ll. Whe n engaging some sele ctor lever posi­
tions , you must press t he locking
bu tton (!) on
the selector leve r and/or press the brake pedal
¢ fig . 98.
You mus t press the brake pedal to engage a se­
lec to r l ever pos it ion when the engine is running
an d the vehicle is stationary .
You do not have to press the brake peda l if yo u
shift from D to
R with in one second. This allows
you to " roc k" the veh icle to free it when it is
s tuck .
P - Park
This se lecto r lever position p revents the vehicle
from rolling . Only s hif t in to par k w hen the veh i­
cle is
s tat ionary ¢.&. . To selec t the P se lector lev­
e r position, press the P bu tton @ on the selec to r
lever ¢ fig. 98 . P appears next to the selector lev ­
er.
Appl ies to veh icles w ith S tro nic t ra nsmission:
t he par king lock can only be released when t he
ignition is switched on and the b rake pedal is
pressed. To release the parking lock, press the
brake pedal, press the lock ing
button (!) on the
selector lever and select the desired position
¢ fig. 98. The engine must a lso be started to en­
gage the Dor R se lector lever posit io n.
App lies to vehicles w ith tiptronic transm iss ion:
the park ing lock can only be released when the
engine is running and the brake pedal is pressed.
To re lease the park ing lock, press the brake ped­
al, press the locking
button (!) on the selector
leve r and se lect t he des ired
posit ion ¢ fig. 98.
P engages automatically if you switch t he engine
off while the selector leve r is in D, E, S, R or man ­
ua l mode .
92
If you swi tc h the engine off when the N selector
l ever position is selected, the t ransm ission re­
mains in
N for approx imately 30 minutes and
then Pis engaged. The vehicle is not secured
from ro lling in the
N selector lever pos ition, so
yo u need to set the parking brake
®l ¢ page 88 .
You m ust use the park ing lock emergency re lease
before towing the
vehicle ¢ page 97.
R- Reverse
The reverse gea r is engaged in th is posi tion . On ly
se lect reve rse gear when t he vehi cle is stationary
and t he engine is running at idle
speed ¢.&, . To
engage the
R se lector lever position, press the
bra ke peda l, press the locking
button (!) on the
selector lever and select the
R pos it ion ¢ fig. 98.
A confi rmation tone will sound when the reverse
gear is engaged.
N - Neutral (idle)
The transmission is in idle in th is po sit ion. To en­
gage the
N selector lever position, press the lock­
i ng
button (!) on the se lector lever and sh ift into
the
N pos ition ¢ fig. 98.
I f you swi tc h t he eng ine off when the N sele ctor
l eve r posit ion is sele cted, the t ransm iss ion re­
mains in
N for approximately 30 minutes and
then Pis engaged.
Yo u c anno t se lec t th e N po sition w hen 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 safe ty re asons , the veh icle canno t be lo cked
when the transmiss io n is in t he N pos it ion .
DIS -Driving forward
When the transm iss ion is in the D/S posit io n, it
can be ope ra ted e ither in the no rma l D mode o r
i n the S sport mo de. Move the sele ctor leve r back
to engage the S sport mode. You c an on ly se lect
t h e S selector lever position when the Dor E pos i­
tion is se lected . To select the Dor E position
again w hen 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), p ress the brake
pedal and shift into the D
position ¢.&. . .,.

In the no rmal mode D, the transmission a uto­
matica lly selects the suitab le gear ratio. It de­
pends on eng ine load, vehicle speed and driving
style.
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving. The
vehicle makes full use of the engine's power.
Shifting may become noticeable when accelerat­ ing.
The S selector lever position engages automati­
cally when you se lect
Dynamic mode in drive se­
l ect*.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS.
-The vehicle can roll even if the ignition is
switched off.
-Power is sti ll transmitted to the wheels
when the eng ine is running at idle . To pre­
vent the veh icle from "creeping", you must
keep your foot on the brake in all selector
lever positions (except P and N) when the
engine is running .
-Before opening the hood, select the P selec­
tor lever position and set the parking brake.
This reduces the risk of an accident. Always
read and fo llow the applicable warnings
¢ page 323, Working in the engine com­
partment.
@ Tips
If you accidentally se lect N wh ile d riving, take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and wa it
for the engine to slow down to idle before se­
lect ing Dor S.
Driving tips
Appl ies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
Starting the engine
.,. The P or N position must be selected.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
~ .. Start the engine ¢ page 83 .
;::; .,. Press the lock ing button @ on the selector Lev-,....
:::l er and select the D, E, So r R position 0
3 ¢page 91 .
Driving
.. Wait a moment until the transmission shifts.
You will notice a slight movement when the
gear engages .
.. Release the brake pedal and press the accelera-
tor
pedal ¢&, .
Various convenience functions are available for
start ing on h ills
¢ page 89.
Stopping temporarily
.,. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, for
examp le at a traffic light. Do not press the ac­
celerator pedal when doing this .
.. To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep
hills ¢&, .
.. The parking brake will release automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll.
.. Press and hold the brake peda l¢ &, .
.. Set the parking brake.
.. To select the P selector lever posit ion, press the
P button
@ on the selector lever¢ page 91 ,
fig . 98 .
Under certain conditions, such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer, it may be
helpful to switch to manual mode temporar ily
and shift
manually to adapt to the driv ing cond i­
t ions ¢ page 94 .
On hills, activate the park ing brake first and then
shift into the P
position ¢ page 88. This prevents
too much stress from being placed on the locking
mecha nism .
A WARNING
--The vehicle can roll even when the engine is
switched off.
-Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
. . . . serious mJunes .
-To reduce the r isk of an accident, do not
press the accelerator pedal when changing
the selector lever position while the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is running.
93

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
-

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

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
operation. You are always responsible for
your speed and the distance between your
vehicle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, cruise control should not be used in the city, in stop-and-go traffic, on
winding roads and when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and
hydroplaning), because th is increases the
risk of an accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporar ily
when driving in turn ing lanes, h ighway exits
o r in construction zones.
- Please note that unconsciously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal prevents the cruise control from b raking. This is be­
ca use p ressing the acce le ra to r peda l ove r­
rides the cruise contro l system.
- If a brake system ma lf u nction such as over­
heating occurs when the c ruise contro l sys­
tem is switched on, the braking function in
the system may be switched off . The rest of
the cruise control system functions remain
act ive as long as the
@;\l)M~ (USA models) /
Bl (Canada models) indicator light is on.
Before driving downhill a long distance on a
steep hill, decrease your speed and select a
lower gear. Th is makes use of the eng ine
braking effect and relieves the brakes.
(D} Tips
-Applies to: vehicles with manual transmis­ sion: The set speed can on ly be reached if
the engaged gear permits it so that the en­
gine is not over-rewed and will run smooth­ ly. Therefore, s hift into the higher or lower
gear in a timely manner .
- The brake lights turn on when the brakes are applied automatically.
Changing the speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
.. To inc rease/decrease the speed in 1 mph ( 1
km/h) increments, br iefly
tap the lever toward
0 10 ¢ page 102, fig. 103 to the first level.
A ss ista nce sys te m s
.. To increase/decrease the speed in 5 mph (10
km/h) increments, briefly
tap the lever toward
0 10 to the second level.
.. To increase or decrease the speed quick ly, hold
the lever toward 0 10 to the first or second
level unt il the desired speed is reached .
Overriding the speed
Applies to : vehicles with cruise control system
You can press the acce lerator pedal to increase
you r speed, fo r example if you want to pass
someone. The speed you set earl ier will resume
as soon as you release the acce lera to r pedal.
However, if you are exceeding the stored speed
by a considerable amount fo r a long time, the
c ruise contro l system will temporarily switch off.
T he
(ij;jl)~i~ (U SA mode ls) !Iii (Canada mode ls) in­
dicator light in the inst rument cluste r turns off
and the stored speed is maintained.
Preselecting a speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
You can pre-select your desired speed when the
vehicle is stationary .
.. Switch the igni tion on.
.. Pull the lever i nto pos it ion (!) ¢page 102,
fig. 103 .
.. To increase or decrease the speed, tap the lever
toward
0 10 .
This function makes it possible, fo r example, to
save the speed you want before driving on the
highway. Once you are on the expressway, acti­
vate the cruise contro l system by pull ing the lev­
er into
position (!).
Switching off
Applies to : vehicles with cruise control system
Deact iva ting tempor aril y
.. Press the brake pedal, or
.. Press the lever toward @(not locked i nto
place)
¢ page 102, fig. 103 .
103

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
In d ic at or ligh ts and messages in the instr ument
cluster display inform you about the current sit ­
uation and setting.
A n ad dit iona l in di ca tor appears in the head -up
d isp lay*.
Switching adaptive cruise control on
" Pull the lever toward you in to posi tion @
¢fig. 111.
Storing the speed and activating regulation
" To store the cu rrent speed , press the ISET ! but­
ton
¢ fig . 111 . The stored speed is shown in the
speedomete r in the LED
line @ and appears
br iefly i n the status
line @¢fig . 112 .
"Applies to: vehicles with automat ic transmis­
s ion: To acti va te the cont ro l when st ation ary,
also press the bra ke peda l.
Switching adaptive cruise control off
" Push the lever away from you in to posi tion @
u nti l it clicks into place. The message ACC:
off
appears.
@ Indicator lights
fll-Adaptive cru ise con trol is switched on . No
ve hicles are detected ahead. The stored speed is
m ain tained .
•-A vehicle d rivi ng a head was detected. The
adapt ive cr uise control system regulates the
speed and distance to the veh icle dr iv ing ahea d
a n d accelerates/brakes automatically .
• - Automatic transmission: adaptive cruise
control must be sw itched on . A veh icle was de­
tec ted ahead . Yo ur vehicle is s tat io nary and w ill
n ot sta rt driving au tomatically .
tii-Automatic transmission : adaptive cruise
control must be sw itched on . No vehicles were
detected ahead . Your veh icle is stationary a nd
w ill no t start dr iv ing automa tica lly .
• -The automatic braking is not enough to
maintain a sufficient distance to a veh icle dr iv ing
ahead . You must
in tervene ¢ page 114, Driver
intervention request .
Assistance systems
© Instrument cluster display
If the Driver assistance di spl ay is not shown in
t h e instr ument cluster d isp lay, you can open it
u sing the m ultif unct ion steering whee l buttons
¢ page 13.
Ba sed on the gr aphic dis pla y, you can dete rmine
i f th e sys tem is maintain ing a d istance to the ve ­
hicle d riving ahead a nd what t hat distance is .
No vehicle -no vehicle was detec ted dr iv ing
ahe ad.
Silver vehicle -a vehicle was detected driving
ahea d.
Red veh icle -request for drive r interve ntion
¢ page 114.
The five distance bars on the gauge © represent
t h e set distance (refer
to ¢ page 113 for infor­
mation o n how to change the d ista nce). If you
fall be low the selected d ista nce, the distance
bars become red from the bo ttom upwa rd.
.&, WARNING
Applies to: vehicles w ith automatic transm is­
sion: If you pre ss t he
I SET ! butt on whe n driv­
i ng at speeds below 20 mp h (30 km /h) , the
ve hicle accelerates au toma tic ally up to 20
mph ( 30 km/h), which is the m inimum speed
that can be set.
@ Tips
- If you swit ch the ig nitio n or the ad ap tive
c ruise cont rol sys tem o ff, the set s peed is
erased fo r safety reasons .
- The e lec troni c sta biliz ation control ( ESC)
and the an ti- slip -regul ation (AS R) are auto ­
matically switc hed on when t he adaptive
cruise cont rol is switched on.
111