2018 AUDI A4 automatic transmission

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
-To reduce the risk of an accident, never se­lect the R or P positions while driving.
-Do not inadvertently press the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is stationary. Other­
wise the risk of an accident increases be­
cause the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake only re­
leases automatically when the driver's door is
closed.
Hill descent control
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith automat ic tra nsmissio ns
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills.
Hill descent control activates when the transmis­
sion is in the Dor S position and you press the
brake pedal. The transmiss ion automatically se­
lects a gear that is suitable for the hill. Hill de­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations. If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brake pedal.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev­
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
When operating the cru ise contro l system*
c:;, page 102, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
94
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode )
Applies to : vehicles wit h automatic transmissions
The tiptronic mode allows the driver to shift the
gears manually .
Fig. 99 Cente r console: sh if ting ma nually with the selecto r
lever
Fig. 100 Steering wheel: sh ift ing manual ly
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tiptronic mode while stationary
and while driving.
.,. To shift into tiptronic mode, push the selector
lever from the D/S position to the right. As
soon as the transmission switches over, the
M
transmission setting will appear in the instru­
ment cluster display .
.,. To shift up a gear, tap the selector lever for­
ward
0 c:;, fig. 99 .
.,. To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever back
0-
11> To switch t iptronic mode off, push the selector
lever back into the D/S position.
Shift ing with the shift paddles
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or M
selector lever positions .
.,. To shift up a gear, tap the shift paddle 0
c:;, fig. 100.

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

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

Assistance systems
In curves
Applies to: vehicles w ith Audi adaptive cruise co ntro l
Fig. 109 Example: dr iv ing into a curve
When driving into a curve ¢ fig. 109 and out of a
curve, the adaptive cru ise control may react to a
veh icle in the neighboring lane and apply the
brakes. You can prevent that by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal briefly.
Stationary vehicle s
Applies to: ve hicles with Audi adaptive cruise co ntro l
F ig . 110 Example: veh icle c hanging lanes and stationa ry
ve hicle
Within the limits of the system, adaptive cruise
control can react to stationary vehicles
¢
fig. 110, as long as you are driving slower than
30 mph (SO km/h) and the system class ifies the
possible passing maneuver as low. For example,
if a vehicle that was already detected
@ turns or
changes lanes, the adaptive cruise contro l reacts
to the stat iona ry vehicle ahead of
it @ .
110
Veh icles with manual transmission
App lies to : vehicles wit h Audi adapt ive cruise control and
manual t ra n smi ssio n
The adaptive cru ise control is available from 1st
gear through 6th gear in the normal speed
range.
When the adaptive cruise contro l is turned on,
you must press the clutch to shift gears (as usu­
al). When sh ift ing normally or when pressing the
clutch, the adaptive cruise control remains
turned on.
After you have engaged the gear, you do
not
need to press the gas pedal. The adaptive cru ise
contro l accelerates automat ically if necessary .
If you press down on the clutch for too long or
shift/couple improper ly, the adaptive cruise con­
trol may turn off automatically .
Switching on/off
Applies to: vehicles with A ud i adapt ive cruise control
Fig. 111 Ope rating leve r: sw itching on and off
Fig. 112 Instrument cl uste r: adapt ive cr uise cont ro l
You can set any speed between 20 and 95 mph
(30 and 150 km/h).
.,._

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

-Press the brake pedal to slow your vehicle
down.
A WARNING
If the message ACC: automatic go1> appears,
your vehicle will start driving even if there is an obstacle between your vehicle and the ve­
hicle driv ing ahead. This increases the risk of
an acc ident .
{!) Tips
If adaptive cruise control is active and your
vehicle does not start driving even though the
message
ACC: automatic go1 l appears, you
can start driving by tapping the accelerator
pedal.
Interrupting cruise control
A pplies to: ve hicles with Audi adaptive cruise contro l
Fig. 115 Selector lever
Requirement: adaptive cruise control must be
switched on.
Overriding cruise control
.. To accelerate manually, pull the lever toward
you into position @and hold it there or press
the accelerator pedal. The message
ACC: over­
ride
appears .
.. To resume cruise control, release the lever or
take your foot off the acce lerator pedal.
Canceling cruise control while driving
.. Move the lever into position @. The message
ACC: standby appears . Or
.. Press the brake pedal.
ll Th is is not ava ilab le in some coun tries.
Assistance systems
.. To resume the stored speed, move the lever in-
to position @.
Automatic transmission: canceling cruise
control when stopped
.. Push the lever away from you into position @.
The message
ACC: standby appears.
.. To resume cruise control, press the brake peda l
and pull the lever toward you into position @.
A WARNING
It is dangerous to activate cruise control and
resume the stored speed when the current
road, traffic or weather cond itions do not per­
mit this . This increases the risk of an accident.
Setting the distance
App lies to: vehicles wit h Audi adapt ive cr uise control
,
0
Fig. 116 Operating lever: setting the distance
.,. Tap the switch to display the current set dis­
tance
qfig . 116.
.,. To increase or reduce the d istance in incre­
ments, tap the switch upward/downward
again. The distance between the two vehicles
w ill change in the instrument cluster display.
When approaching a vehicle driving ahead, the
adaptive cruise control system brakes to match
that vehicle's speed and then adjusts to the set
distance. If the vehicle driving ahead accelerates,
then the adaptive cruise control will a lso acce ler­
ate up to the speed that you have set .
T he higher the speed, the greater the distance
¢.& .The Distance 3 setting is recommended .
113

Assistance systems
Description
Applies to: vehicl es w ith Aud i drive select
The follow ing systems, among other things, are
influenced by drive select:
Engine and automatic transmission*
Depending on the mode, the engine and auto­
mat ic transmission* respond more quickly or in a
mo re balanced manner to accelerator pedal
movements . In the sporty
Dynamic mode , the
transmission shifts at highe r speed ranges.
Suspension control*
The suspension control* uses sensors to record
information regard ing steering movements ,
braking and acceleration operations by the driv­
er , road surface, driving speed, and load. This
makes it possible to adapt damping to the driv­
ing situation nearly in rea l time. With drive se ­
lect, you can adjust the suspension control to
sporty
( Dynamic ), comfortab le ( Comfort ) or bal­
anced
( Auto ).
Steering
The power steering adapts. Indi rect s teer ing that
moves easily as in
Comfort mode is especia lly
suited to long drives on highways . The
Dynamic
mode provides sporty , direct steering.
The following applies to vehicles with dynamic
steering* : the steering ratio changes based on
vehicle speed in order to maintain optimum
steer ing effort for the driver at all times . This
sets the steering to be less sensitive at higher
speeds in order to prov ide improved vehicle con­
trol. At reduced speeds, steering is more direct in
order to keep the steering effort as min imal as
possible when the driver is maneuvering the vehi­
cle. At low and average speeds, dynamic steer­
ing* additionally provides more responsive steer­
ing performance.
Sport differential*
As a component of the all wheel drive system
(quattro)
~ page 1 SO, the sport differential dis­
tributes the driving power to the rear axle de­
pending on the situation. The distribution of
power varies depending on the selected mode
134
from moderate (Comfort ) to sporty (Dynamic ).
The goal is a high level of agility and ability to ac­
ce lerate on curves . The vehicle is very respons ive
to steering.
Adaptive cruise control (ACC)*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control also
responds to the driving behavior of the vehicle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner.
Engine sound*
The engine sound adapts to the current mode
and can be subtle to sporty.
@ Tips
The S selector lever position automatically en­
gages when the
Dynamic mode is selected .
Selecting the driving mode
Applies to: vehicles with Audi drive se lect
Fig. 135 Center co nsole: controls for drive se lect
.,. Press the left or right a rrow key ~ fig. 135 until
the desired mode appears in the instrument
cluster/ Infotainment system disp lay. Or
.,. Select in the Infotainment system: IMENU j but-
ton
> Vehicle > Audi drive select.
.,. Select and confirm the desired setting.
You can change the driving mode when the vehi­
cle is stationary or while driving. If traffic per­
mits, after changing modes, briefly take your
foot off the accelerator pedal so that the recently
selected mode is also activated for the engine.
.,.