2018 AUDI A4 warning light

If the indicator light turns on and this message
appears, there is a malfunction in the brake booster.
I f the ABS indicato r light
[I]) (USA mode ls) I
ti] (Canada mode ls), the ESC indicator light J.ft .
and the brake system indicator light 1111 (USA
models)
I . (Canada mode ls) all turn on and
this message appears, then the ABS, ESC and
braking distribution are malfunctioning
c::> ,&. .
Do not continue driving . See an authorized Audi
dea ler or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility for as­
sistance
c::> ,&. .
1111 (USA model s) /. (C anada mod els ) Pa rk­
ing brake: malfun ction! Safel y stop vehicle . See
owner 's manu al
- If the indicator ligh t and the message appea r
when the vehicl e is stationar y or afte r switch­
ing the ignit ion on ,
check if you can release the
park ing brake. If you cannot re lease the park­
ing brake, see an authorized Aud i dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility. If you can release
the parking brake and the message still ap­
pears, see an authorized Aud i deale r or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction correc ted.
- If the indicator light and message appea r
whil e
dri ving ,
the hill start assist or emergency brak­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be poss ible to set the pa rking brake or release
i t once it has bee n se t. Do not park your veh icle
on h ills. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Service Facility for ass istance.
Brake boo ste r: re stricted . You can c ontinue driv ­
in g. Ple ase co ntact Servic e
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
brake booster is availab le, but its effectiveness is
reduced. B raking behavio r may be diffe rent from
how it normally fu nctions and the b rake peda l
may v ibrate.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have the
a malfunct ion corrected. co .... N ,....
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Coc kpit o ve rv iew
A WARNING
-Read and follow the warnings in
c::> page 323, Working in the engine com­
partment before opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does not turn off or it turns on wh ile driving, the
b rake fl uid leve l in the reservo ir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an accident.
S top the vehicle and do not continue d riv­
ing . See an authorized Aud i dealer o r au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- I f the brake system indi cator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicato r
lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating function may
be malfunct ion ing. Funct ions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
creases the risk that the vehicle will slide. Do not cont inue driving. See an autho rized
Aud i deale r o r autho rized Audi Serv ice Facili­
ty fo r ass is tance.
PARK /(®)/~ Electrom echanical parking
b rake
If the -(U SA mode ls) I. (Canada models)
indicator light turns on, the parking brake was
set.
If the -( U SA mode ls) . (Canada models) in­
dicator light blinks, the braking force is not build ­
ing up enough o r not building up at a ll. Secu re
the vehicle also by selecting the 1st gear (man ual
transm ission) or select ing the P selector lever po­
s ition (automatic transm ission) . Make sure the
indicator light is off before you start driving.
l~j Parking brake : malf unction! Please contact
Ser vic e
There is a ma lfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an autho rized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immed iate ly to have the malfunc­
t ion corrected.
11 ( USA model s)/ ,1~a (Can ada models) Parking
brake: caution! Vehicle parked too steep
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Cockpit over view
There is not enough braking force to hold the ve­
hicle in place . The brakes have overheated. The
veh icle cou ld ro ll away even on a small incline .
Ill (U SA mod els)/ lC@j (C an ad a model s) Parking
brake : applied
If th is message appears, press the brake pedal
fi rst a nd the n release the pa rk ing bra ke if neces­
sary.
II ( U SA model s)/ l(@j (Canada mo dels) Parking
brak e: emerg ency braking
The emergency braking function was triggered .
Please rele ase park ing b rake
Release the par king brake if t his message ap ­
pears.
Plea se pr ess brak e pedal to rel ease parking
brak e
To release the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press
the ~ button at the same time,
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
9 page 89,
Starting to drive.
(D Tips
For add it ional information on the park ing
brake, see
9 page 88.
-L Cooling system
• Turn off engin e and che ck co ola nt level. See
o w ner 's manual
The coolant leve l is too low.
Do not cont inue driving and switch the engine
off . Check the coolant level
9 page 329.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
9 page 329. On ly cont inue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off .
• Coolant t emper atu re: too high. Let e ngi ne
run with vehicle st ationar y
Let the eng ine run at id le for a few minutes to
coo l off, until the indicator light turns off .
- If the indicato r ligh t does not turn off, do not
contin ue driving the vehicle. See an au thorized
30
Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping .
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dange rous area . Stop the engine and
allow it to cool befo re working in the engine
compa rtment. Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
9 page 323, Working in the
engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . indicator
li ght turns on as this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
~ Safety belt
The . indicator light stays on until the dr iver's
and front passenger's safety belts are fastened.
Above a certain speed, there will a lso be a warn­
i ng tone.
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on safety belts,
see
Q page 263.
0 Generator/Vehicle battery
If the . or(•) indicator light turns on, there is a
malfunction in the generator or the vehicle e lec­
trical system .
• Electrical sy stem: malfunction! Saf ely stop
v ehicle
Do not continue dr iving and switch the engine
off. See an authorized Audi dealer or autho rized
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
(•j Ele ctri cal system: m alfunc tion! Re sta rt not
po ssible. Plea se cont act Ser vice
The vehicle battery was disconnected from the
vehicle e lectr ica l system and will no longer

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charge. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediate ly.
Do not stop the eng ine, or you will not be able to
start it aga in. If yo u can no longer sta rt the en­
gine, see an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance .
(•) Elec trical system : malfunction! Plea se c on­
tact Se rvic e
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Faci lity immediately . Because the ve­
h icle battery is discharg ing , turn off all unneces ­
sary e lectr ica l equipment s uch as the radio . See
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Service Facility if the battery charge level is too
l ow .
(•) Ele ctrical system : low battery charge . B at­
tery w ill be charg ed while driv ing
The start ing ability may be impaired .
If th is message turns off after a little while, the
vehicle battery charged enough wh ile driving .
If the message does not turn off and stay off
when dr iving, have an authori zed Aud i dea ler or
author ized Audi Service Facility repair the mal­
function.
~ Engine oil pressure
• T u rn off engine . O il pr essure too low
Stop the eng ine and do no t continue driving.
Check the engine oil
level ¢ page 32 7.
-If the engine oil level is too low, add engine oil
¢ page 327. Only cont inue driv ing once the in­
dica tor light turns off.
- If the engine oil level is correct and the indica­
tor light sti ll turns on, turn the engine off and
do not continue driving. See an authori zed Audi
dealer or au thor ized Audi Service Facility for as­
s istance.
@ Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an o il level in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regularly.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
~ Engine oil level (MIN)
• Plea se add oil imm ediatel y.
Add engine oil immediately ¢ page 327 .
Ill Please add ma x. x qt (l) oil. You can contin ·
ue d riv ing
Add the maximum amount o f oi l indicated in the
display as soon as possible
¢ page 32 7 .
@ -Steering lock
• Steering: m alfunction! Ple ase stop vehicle
T he re is a ma lfunction in the e lectronic steering
l ock. You cannot turn the ignition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. See an authorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Se rvice Facili ty for assistance.
Em Ste ering lo ck : malfunct ion! Pl eas e contact
Ser vic e
There is a malfunction in the electron ic steering
lock.
Drive to an au thori zed Audi dealer or authori zed
Audi Service Facility immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected .
_& WARNING ,-
Do not tow your vehicle when there is a mal-
f u nction in the electro nic steer ing lock· t his
i n cr eases the risk of an a cc ident.
~ Engine start system
• Engine s tart sy stem: malfun ction! Ple ase
cont act S erv ice
Do not switch the ignition off because you may
not be able to switch it on again.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iately to have the
malfu nction corrected .
= Engine sta rt system: mal function! Ple ase
cont act S erv ice
-
There is a ma lf u nction in the engine starting sys-
tem.
~
31

Cockpit over view
Drive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or a uthorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
c::=:,Hood
• Warning! Hood is not locked. Stop vehicle
and check the lo ck
If the indicator light turns on and the m essage
appears, the hood locking mechanism is not en­
gaged correctly.
Stop immediate ly and close the hood
<::> page 324.
0 Clutch
Appl ies to: ve hicles w ith manu al transmiss ion
• C lutch: malfun ction! Safely stop vehicle
There is an ongoing ma lfunction in t he clutch .
Stop the vehicle safely. See an authorized Audi
dea ler or a uthori zed Audi Serv ice Facility for as ­
sistance .
[Pl Clut <:h: malf un<:ti on! Adapt dri ving style .
Please contact Ser vice
There is an ongo ing malfu nction in the clutc h.
The engine torque tha t can be transferred is re­
duced . You may continue d riving . Avoid using the
clutch in any way that will p lace a heavy load on
it . For example, do not let the clutch r ub when
starting on hills, when towing a trailer or when
maneuvering the vehicle. Drive to an authori zed
Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility im ­
mediately to have the malfunc tion corrected .
5] Clutch: malfun ction! You ma y continue d riv­
ing
There is a malfunction in the clutch. The engine
torque that can be transferred is reduced. Yo u
may continue driving. Avoid using the clutch in
the future in any way that will p lace a heavy load
on it. For examp le, do not let the clutch rub when
starting on hills, when tow ing a trailer or when
maneuvering the vehicle . The indicato r light
tur ns off once the clutc h is fully operable again.
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!;.J [/; Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the bJ indicator light blinks while driving , the
E SC o r ASR (A nti-Sl ip Regulation) is act ively regu­
l ating .
If the
bJ ind icator light turns on, the system has
switched the ESC off. In t his case, you can switch
t h e ign it io n off and then on to swi tch the ESC on
again. The indicator light t urns off when the sys­
tem is functioning fu lly.
If
the . indicator light turns on, ESC was
swi tched off using the
l.a00I button<::> page 146.
Stabi liz ation contro l (ESC /ABS ): malfunction !
See owner's manual
If the G1 ind icator light and the ~ (USA mod­
els),11J (Canada models) ABS indicator light turn
o n and the message appears, there is a malfunc­
tion in the ABS o r the e lectronic diffe rentia l lock .
This also causes the ESC to malfunction. The
br akes st ill func tion wi th the ir normal power, bu t
ABS is not active .
D rive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Fa cil ity immed iate ly to have the
malfunction cor rec ted .
(D Tips
For addi tional informat ion on ESC and ABS,
see <::>
page 146 .
!I..' Safety systems
The fll indicator lig ht mon itors the safe ty sys­
tems.
If the
fll ind icator light turns on or blinks, the re
i s a ma lfunction in a safety system.
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction cor rected .
_&, WARNING
Have the safety sys tems inspec ted immedi­
a tely . O therwise, the re is a ris k t hat the sys­
tems may not activate during a collision,
which increases the risk of serious injury or
death .

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C© ) Brake system
rm Brakes overheating . Please shift to D
rm Brakes overheating. Please select a gear and
follow gear recommendation
There was a heavy load on the brakes. Engage a
suitable gear (manual transm ission) or place the
selector lever in the D/S position (automat ic
transmission) to use the eng ine braking effect
and reduce the load on the brakes.
~·
:t:J /(0 : Brake pads
II (USA models)/£i1 (Canada models) Brake
pads: wear limit reached. You can continue driv­
ing. Please contact Service
The brake pads are worn.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Facility as soon as possible to have
the malfunct ion corrected .
c:l:::, Engine control
II Drive system: malfunction! Please contact
Service
There is an engine control malfunction .
Drive slow ly to an author iz ed Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility to have the eng ine
checked .
W Engine control (diesel engine )
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engines
The engine is preheating if the II indicato r light
turns on when the ignition is switched o n.
I f the indicator light does not turn on or b links
while driving , there is an eng ine control malfunc ­
tion .
Immediately drive slowly to an authori zed Aud i
dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to have
the malfunction co rrected .
o Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The malfunction indicato r lamp (MIL) is part of
the On -Board Diagnostic System (OBD II). The Cockpit overview
('4 ,;ymbol turns on when the
ignition is switched
on and turns off again once the engine is started
and running at a steady idle speed. This indicates
that the MIL is function ing correctly.
T he indicator light turns on if there is a malfunc­
tion in the engine electronics. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility to
have the malfunction corrected . For additional
information, see
c:::> page 24.
The indicator light can a lso turn on if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correctly
c:::> page 317.
,m,,
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to : vehicles wit h diesel eng ine a nd diesel particulate
filter
II Particulate filter : malfunction! See owner's
manual
T he diese l particulate filter requires regenera­
tion . To support the filter 's self-cleaning func­
tion:
Drive for approximately 15 minutes at a mini ­
mum of 37 mph (60 km/h) in 4th or 5th gear
(manua l transmission) or in the S selector lever
position (automatic transmission). Keep the en­
gine speed at approximately 2,000 RPM . The
temperature increase that will result from th is
can burn off the soot in the filter . The ind icator
light will turn off when the cleaning has complet­
ed successfully .
If the indicator light does not turn off, drive im­
med iate ly to an authori zed Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility to have the malfunct ion
corrected .
A WARNING "---
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order to
follow driving recommendations .
@ Tips
For additional informat ion on the diesel par­
ticulate filter, see
c:::> page 322 .
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c::S Driver's door
II] Driver' s door: malfunction! Shift to P before
l e aving vehi cle. See own er's manual
There is a malfunction in the driver's door. Select
the P se lector lever position (automat ic transmis­
sion) to secure the vehicle.
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
-: Bulb failure indicator
If the II indica to r li ght turns on, a b ulb has
fa iled. The message ind icates the location of the
bu lb . Rep lace the b ulb immediately .
Vehicle lights: malfunction! Please c ont ac t
Servic e
There is a malfunction in the headlights or the
light switch . Drive to an authorized Audi dealer o r
author ized Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to
h ave the ma lf u nction co rre cted.
_& WARNING
- Ligh t bul bs are under pressu re and can ex­
plode when bulbs are replaced, which in ­
creases the risk of injury.
- Wi th H ID headlights (xenon headlights), the
high -voltage component must be handled
correctly. Otherwise, there is a risk of fata l
injury.
{(D Dynamic headlight range control
II He adlight range cont rol: malfun ctio n! S ee
o w ner 's manual
There is a malfunction in the headlight range
control system, which may ca use glar e for other
drivers.
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler o r a uthorized
Audi Servic e Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corr ected.
-
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
~O Audi adaptive light
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive light
m;J Audi adapt ive light : malfun ction! See own­
er's manual
Adaptive light is not working . The headlights still
funct ion .
Drive to an au thorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected .
@ Light/rain sensor
!;I Automatic headlights: ma lfunction! See
o wner' s manual
!;I Automati c wipers : malfunction ! See owner' s
manual
The light/rain sensor is malfunctioning.
The low beams remain switched on at a ll times
for safety reasons when the light switch is in the
AUTO position. However, you can continue to
turn the lights on and off using the light switch.
You can still contro l all functions that a re inde­
pendent of the rain sensor through the wind ­
shield wiper leve r.
Drive to an au thori zed Audi dealer or authori zed
Audi Service Facility immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected.
Q Suspension control
Applies to : vehicles with suspension control
II Su sp ension: malfunction! You may continue
drivin g
There is a suspension control malfunction .
Drive to an authorized Audi d eal er or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction correc ted.
r : All wheel drive/sport differential
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive/sport diffe rentia l
(II All-wh eel dri ve : malfun ction! You may con-
tinue driv ing. Pl ease contact Service
.,.
35

Cockpit over view
Ill Sport d ifferential : malfunction! Please con­
tact Se rvice
There is a malfunction.
Dr ive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
Ill All-whee l dri ve o verhe ating . Ple ase a dapt
driving st yle . See owner' s manual
Ill Sport d ifferential : temper ature too high.
Ple ase adapt drivi ng sty le
The transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificant ly due to the sporty driv ing manner. Drive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the indicator light
sw itches of .
A WARNING
Contact an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility if the all whee l dr ive/
sport diffe rential is fau lty o r malfunctioning.
The repair must be performed by trained per­
sonnel using the correct oil in order to ensure
safety.
¢¢ Turn signals
If the . or .l indicator light b links, a turn s ig ­
na l is turned on. If bot h indicator lig hts are blink­
ing, the emergency flashers are on.
If an indicato r light blinks twice as fast as usua l,
a t urn signa l bulb has failed. Caref ully dr ive to an
authorized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
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Opening and closing
Central locking
Description
You can lock and unlock the veh icle centrally . You
have the following options:
-Remote control key¢ page 40,
-Sensors in the door handles* ¢ page 40,
-Lock cylinder on the driver's door c::> page 42,
or
-Interior central locking switch c::> page 41.
Turn signals
The turn s ignals flash twice when you unlock the
veh icle and flash once when you lock the veh icle.
If they do not flash, then one of the doors, the
rear lid or the hood is not closed.
Automatic locking (Auto Lock)
The Auto Lock funct ion locks all doors and the
luggage compartment lid once the speed has
ex­
ceeded approximately 9 mph (15 km/h).
The vehicle can be unlocked if the opening func­
tion in the central locking system sw itch is used
or one of the door handles is pulled.
In the event of a crash with airbag deployment,
the doors will a lso automat ically unlock to allow
access to the vehicle.
Selective door unlocking
The doors and luggage compartment lid will lock
when they close . You can set in the Infotainment
system whether
only the driver's door or the en­
tire vehicle should be unlocked when unlocking
c::> page 41.
Unintentionally locking yourself out
Only lock your vehicle when all of the doors and
the luggage compartment lid are closed and the remote control key is not in the vehicle . This
helps to prevent you from locking yourse lf out
accidentally .
The follow ing cond it ions prevent you from lock­
ing your remote control key in the vehicle:
Opening and closing
-If the driver's door is open, the vehicle cannot
be locked by pressing the
fi'.) button on the re­
mote contro l key or by touching the locking
sensor* on a door.
-If the most recently used convenience key* is
detected in the luggage compartment, the lug­
gage compartment lid automatically unlocks
again after closing it.
-If the convenience key* that was last used is de­
tected inside the vehicle, then the vehicle will
not be able to lock from the outside .
_& WARNING
---
-When you lock your vehicle from outs ide,
nobody- espec ially children
-should rema in
inside the vehicle. Remember, when you
loc k the vehicle from the outside the win­
dows cannot be opened from the inside .
- When you leave the vehicle, always take the
ignit ion key with yo u. This will prevent pas­
sengers (children, for examp le) from acci­
dentally being locked in the vehicle should
they accidentally press the power locking
switch in the doors.
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle
un­
supervised. In an emergency it would be im­
possible to open the doors from the outside
without the key.
(D Tips
-Do not leave valuables unattended in the ve­
hicle. A locked vehicle is not a safe!
-The LED in the driver's door rail blinks when
you lock the vehicle. If the LED lights up for
approximately 30 seconds after locking,
there is a malfunction in the central locking
system. Have the problem corrected by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
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