2018 AUDI A4 ESP

Warm and cold
3 zone deluxe automatic climate control
Operation
.... M
~ a,
Fig. 90 3-zone de lu xe a uto mat ic cl imate contro l; cockpit controls
Fig. 9 1 3-zone de luxe automatic cl imate control system: rear controls
Press the knobs, buttons or rocker switches to
turn the functions on or off . When the funct ion is
sw itched on, the LED in the respect ive button or
knob t urns
on ¢ fig. 90. The rocker switc hes are
se nsitive to to uch. The drive r and front passenger
sett ings can be ad justed sepa rately.
You can adjust the settings for the rea r of the ve­
hi cle using the controls in the rear
~ fig. 91 .
On right-hand dr ive vehicles*, the functions of
the rocker sw itched ® and ® are switched .
OFF
clima te control sy stem
You can switc h the cl imate control system on and
off using the OFF button.
It also sw itches on when you press another button or a knob. A
irflow
from outside is b locked when the clima te control
system is sw itched off.
A/C Cooling mode
You can switch the coo ling mode on or off using
the rocker switch ®· The air is not coo led and hu­
mid ity is not removed when cooling mode is
switched off. This can cause fog on the w indows .
Cooling mode switches off automatically when
t h e outs ide tempe ra ture is below zero .
A/Ceco cooling mode*
You can switch the eco cooling mode on or off us-
ing the rocker switch ®· The climate control
..,.
77

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
..,.

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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

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~ Applies to: automatic transmission: Select the
P selector lever position .
~ Turn the eng ine off ¢,&. .
~ Applies to: manual transmission: Engage 1st
gear.
~ Turn the steering wheel when parking on in ­
clines so that the wheels will roll into the curb
if the veh icle starts moving .
A WARNING
-Never accelerate or release the clutch pedal
carelessly when a gear or a selector lever
posit ion (automatic transmission) is engag­
ed whi le the vehicle is stationary and the en­
gine is running. Otherwise, the vehicle will
start to move immediately and this cou ld re­
sult in an accident.
- Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal brake peda l
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
During emergency braking, your veh icle will
brake sim ilar to heavy brak ing . ESC and the
associated components (ABS, ASR, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics,
Around curves and when road or weather
conditions are bad, a full brake application
can cause the vehicle to skid or the rear end
to swerve, which increases the risk of an ac­
c ident.
- If the power supply fails, you cannot set the
park ing brake if it is released . If th is is the
case, stop the veh icle on leve l ground and
secure it by engaging 1st gear (manual
transmiss ion) or select ing the P selector lev ­
er position (automatic transm iss ion). See an
authorized Aud i dealer or autho rized Aud i
Service Facility for assistance .
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving your vehicle, even if for a short pe ri­
od of time. This applies particu larly when
children remain in the vehicle. Otherwise,
children could start the engine, release the
parking brake or operate electrical equip­
ment such as powe r windows, which in­
creases the risk of an acc ident.
- No one, especially children, shou ld remain
in the vehicle when it is locked. Locked
doors make it more difficult for emergency
D riving
workers to get into the vehicle, which puts
lives at risk.
(D Tips
Ap plies to : vehicles with auto matic transmissions
When stopp ing at a traff ic signa l or stopp ing
i n city traffic, you can set the park ing brake
manually . The vehicle does not have to be
held with the brake pedal. The park ing brake
eliminates the tendency to creep when a se­
l ector lever position is engaged. As soon as
you press the a ccelerator peda l, the parking
brake releases automatically and your vehicle
starts to move r=;,
page 89.
(j) Tips
-Occasional noises when the pa rking brake is
set and released are normal and are no t a
cause for concern.
- The parking brake goes through a self-test
cycle at regular intervals when the vehicle is
stopped. Any noises assoc iated with this are
normal.
- If there is a power failure, the parking brake
wi ll not set if it is released, and it will not
re lease if it is
set ¢.&. . See an a uthorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­ cility for assistance.
Starting to drive
Various convenience and safety funct ions may be
available when the vehicle begins driving, de­
pending on vehicle equipment .
Starting on hills with the p arking brake set
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed .
~ To start driving comfortably when on a hill , set
the parking brake and begin driving as usual.
The braking force of the parking brake does not
release a utomatically until the wheels build up
enough driving force.
Starting on hills with hill hold assist
Hi ll ho ld assist makes it easier to start on hills.
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the engine must be running.
89

Driving
"'T o activate hill hold assist, press and hold the
brake peda l for several seconds. The vehicle
must be in an uph ill direction of travel.
Afte r releasing the bra ke pedal, the brak ing pow­
er is ma intained for a brie f
moment¢ A to pre­
vent the vehicle from rolling back when starting .
During this time, you can eas ily beg in to move
your veh icle.
A WARNING
- If you do not begin dr iving immediately or
the engine stalls after releas ing t he brake
peda l, yo ur vehicle may begi n to roll back­
ward . Press t he b rake pedal o r set the park ­
i ng bra ke immed iate ly.
- The intelligent techno logy of hill hold assist
c annot overcome the lim itations imposed by
n atu ral physical laws. The incre ased comfo rt
offered by h ill hold assist sho uld not cause
yo u to take safety risks .
- Hill ho ld assis t can not hold the veh icle in
place on all h ills ( for example, i f the gro und
is slippery or icy) .
- T o reduce the risk of an ac cident, always
make sure the vehicle is si tuated safely
whi le stat ionary.
Driving offroad
General information
A ppl ies to: a ll r oad
The electro nic stabilization co ntrol (ESC) func­
tions were e nhanced for dr iv ing offroad. Offroad
mode c an be ac tivated whe n driving in situat ions
where slipp age or a different ia l loc k func tion is
necessary ¢ page 147. The h ill descent ass ist is
a lso available, which automatica lly brakes the
ve­
h icle and mainta ins a constant speed as a result
¢ page 148. In add ition, your Audi prov ides con­
tinuous all wheel drive.
However , you r Audi is not an offroad vehicle.
Only drive in terrain that is su itable for the vehi ·
cle and your driving abilit y. Never take an y un·
neces sary risks!
90
Afte r driving offroad
- After driving off road , remove b ranches and
other debris from the rad iator grille, under ­
body, and wheels . Look especially fo r foreign
objects (such as stones) that may be st uck in
the t ire tread.
- Clean the vehicle body and underbody and
in­
spect the vehicle for possible damage.
- Clean the windows, headlights, tail lights and
the license p late if they are dirty.
- Per form a brake test (especia lly after d riving
throug h water) .
A WARNING
-Be especially aware and attentive when d riv ­
ing under diff icu lt cond itions. Vehicle dam­
age and in juries may occur when driving at
excess ively high speeds or with incorrect
driving maneuvers.
- Always ad just yo ur speed and driving sty le
to the roads, terrain, traffic and weat her
conditions . Drive especially slowly if there is
low visibility when off road.
- Please note that t he wheels can sp in mo re
and the vehicle can swerve when in offroad
mode, espe cially when the road is slippery
or h as loose s urfa ce mate rial.
- D riving stability is reduce d when in offroad
mode.
@ For the sake of the environment
Avo id harm ing the env ironmen t and show
conside ration fo r nat ure.
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitted and always
stay on the prov ided roads and paths .
Driver messages
Applies to : allroad
There is only one right way to drive in difficul t
conditions: slowly and with caution!
Observe the following when driving on unpaved
r oads :
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.,. 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

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.

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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