2018 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
- Oil should never enter the sewer system or
come into contact with the gro und.
- Pay attention to legal requirements when
disposing of empty oil containers .
@ Tips
- The oil leve l indicator in the d isplay is only
an informationa l disp lay .
If the oil leve l is
too low, a minimum oil warning appea rs in
the instrument cluster. Add oil and close
the hood . The current oil level is displayed
i n the instrument cluster the next t ime the
i gnition is switched on .
- The engine oil consumption may be up to
0 .5 quart/600 miles (0 .5 liter/1,000 km),
depend ing on driving style a nd operating
cond itions . Consumption may be higher
d ur in g the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Be­
cause of t his, the engi ne oil level m ust be
chec ked regular ly.
It would be best to check
each time you ref uel your veh icle and before
l ong drives.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta ­
tion .
Before you c heck a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
men t,
alway s read and heed all WARNINGS ¢.&
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 323.
T he engine oil must be change d accord ing to the
intervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte ­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing propert ies of oi l diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circ umstances the engine o il should
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if yo u drive most ly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic cond it ions, or have yo ur vehi­
cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods .
328
Detergent add itives in the oi l will make fres h oil
l ook dark after the engine has been r unning for a
sho rt time . This is normal and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended.
Because o f the p roblem o f prope r disposa l, along
with t he specia l too ls and necessary expertise re­
quired, we strongly recommend that yo u have
yo ur oil changed by an authori zed
Audi dealer or
a qua lified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself , please
note the fo llow ing important information:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of persona l injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wea r eye protect ion.
- To red uce the r is k of bur ns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch.
-
- W hen removin g the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm pa rallel to the gro und to
he lp prevent hot oil from run ning down your
arm .
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one la rge enough to hold at
least the tota l amount of oi l in you r engine.
- Engi ne oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact with used eng ine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin . Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil off thoroughly with soap
a nd wate r.
(D Note
N eve r mix oil additives with you r engine oil.
These add itives can damage your engine and
advers ely affect you r Audi Limit ed New Veh i­
cle Warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Before cha ng ing you r oi l, first make s ure
you know where you can properly dispose o f
t h e used oil.
- Always dispose of used e ngine o il pro perly .
Do not dump i t on garden soil, wooded

areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service stat ion .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coo ling system is filled with a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed.
The coolant level is monitored through
the. in­
dicator light
¢ page 30. However , we do recom­
mend occasiona lly checking the coolant level
manually.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti -freezing and
corrosion protection agents. Only use the fol low­
ing coolant additives . These additives may be
mixed with each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13
TL 774 J
G12++ TL
774 G
The amount of coo lant additive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated. If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the engine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm min . 40% min. -13 °F
regions max .
45% (
- 25 °()
Cold min.
50% max
. -40 °F
regions max.
55% (-40 °()
(D Note
-
Before the start of winter, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility check if the coolant additive in your
Checking and Filling
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate. This is especia lly important
when driving in colder climates.
- If the appropriate coo lant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. You could damage the en­
gine. If this happens, only use water and re­
store the correct mixture ratio with the
specified coolant add itive as soon as poss i­
ble .
- Only refill w ith new coolant.
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coolant.
Adding coolant
Fig. 270 E ngine compartment: re lease button on coolant
expansion tank
Observe the safety precautions ¢,&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 323.
Checking the engine coolant level
.. Park the vehicle on a level surface .
.. Switch the ignition off .
.. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
¢ fig. 270.
.. The coolant level must be between the MIN and
MAX markings when the engine in co ld. When
the engine is warm it can be slightly above the
MAX marking.
Adding coolant
.. Let the eng ine cool down .
.. Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap .
.. Push the release button ¢ fig. 2 70 and carefu l­
ly unscrew the cap to the left until you feel re-
sistance¢ ,A. IIJ,-
329

Checking and Filling
.,. Push the release button again and remove the
cap comp lete ly .
.,. Make sure that the fluid level rema ins stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.,. Turn the cap to the right to secure it until you
feel resistance a second t ime.
Coolant loss usually indicates there is a leak . Im ­
mediately drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility
and have the cooling system inspected . If the
coo ling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheating
and being pushed out of the cool ing system.
_& WARNING
- T he coo ling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coolant expansion tank cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk of burns.
- The coo lant add itive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your healt h. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the origina l container
and away from children. There is a risk of poison ing.
- When working in the engine compartment, remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ign ition is switc hed off, which
increases the risk of in jury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. There may be air in the cooling sys­
tem, wh ic h increases the risk of engine dam­
age.
If th is is the case, do not continue dr iv­
ing . See an a uthorized Aud i dea le r or author­
ized Aud i Service Fa cil ity fo r assistance.
330
Brake fluid
Fig. 271 En gine compa rtment: cap o n brake fluid reservo ir
Observe the safety precautions¢.&, in Working
in the engine compartment on page 32 3 .
Check ing the brake fluid level
.,. Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservoir ¢ page 325, fig . 268 . The brake flu id
level must be between the MI N and MAX ma rk­
ings ¢.&, .
The brake f lu id level is monito red automatically.
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
_& WARNING -
- If the brake flu id leve l is below the MIN
marking, it ca n impair the brak ing effect
and driving safety, wh ich increase the r isk of
an accident. Do not continue dr iv ing . See an
author ized Audi dealer or au thori zed Audi
Serv ice Facility fo r ass ist ance.
- I f the brake fl uid is old, b ubbles may form
in the bra ke system dur ing heavy bra king.
This wo uld im pair b raking per formance and
driving safety, which increases the risk of an
accident.
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use bra ke fluids tha t comp ly
wit h VW standard 50 1 14 or
FMVSS- 116 DOT 4 .
(D Note
-If the bra ke f lu id leve l is ab ove the MAX
marking, bra ke fluid may le ak o ut over the

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle .
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, beca use it will corrode the paint .
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the complex power supply, all work
on batteries such as disconnecting, replacing,
etc. shou ld
onl y be performed by an a uthorized
Aud i dealer o r autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility
¢ ,&. .
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your veh icle.
Detailed warning s for th e vehicl e batter y:
®
Wear eye protection .
A
Battery acid is highly corrosive. Wear pro-
tective gloves and eye protect ion.
@
Fire, spa rks, open flame and smoking are
forbidden.
~
A highly explosive mixture of gases can
form when charging batteries.
®
Keep children away from battery acid and
batteries.
A WARNING
All work on the battery or electrical system in
your vehicle can result in injuries, chemical
burns, accide nts o r burns. Be cause of this, a ll
work m ust be perfo rmed
only by an a uthor­
ized Aud i deale r or a utho rized Aud i Serv ice
Facility.
_&. WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts , termina ls and re lated acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
Ch eck ing and Filling
(D Note
Protect the vehicle battery against freezing if
the veh icle w ill be parked for long periods of
time so that it is not destroyed by "free zing"
¢ page 332.
@ For the sa ke of the environment
i Batteries contain polluting substances such
as sulfur ic acid and lead. Contact an author­
i zed Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Fac ility for more informat ion .
Vehicle battery
The term "vehicle ba ttery" refers to the 12 Vol t
ba ttery in your vehicle.
Not running th e vehicle fo r long p eriod s of
time
If you do not drive your vehicle for severa l days or
weeks, electrical equ ipment is gradually scaled
back or sw itched off . Th is reduces energy use and
ensures the vehicle will be able to start after long
per iods of t ime
¢ page 151. Some convenie nce
funct ions, such as inte rio r ligh ting or power seat
adjustment, may not be ava ilable under certain
c ircumstances. These convenience functions will
be available again once you switch the ignition on
and start the engine.
Even when elect rical equipment is switched off,
the eq uipment can sti ll drain the vehicle battery
if the vehicle is not driven for long periods of
time. Deep draining results in a chemica l reaction
that destroys the inside of the vehicle battery .
The veh icle battery must be charged every month
to reduce the risk of this happening
¢ page 332 .
Contact an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for more information .
Winter operation
Co ld weather places higher demands on the vehi­
cle battery. Th is results in reduced starting ab ili­
ty. Have the vehicle battery checked by an au­
thorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Facil ity before the cold time of year.
33 1

Checking and Filling
Charging the vehicle battery
Fig. 272 Engine co mpa rtment : connec tors for a c harger
and jump start cab le s
Req uirement: only use chargers with a m aximum
c hargi ng vo lta ge of 30 amp s/14.8 Volt s.
The
vehicle battery cables remain connected .
.,. Read the warnings c> .&. in General warnings
about batteries on page 331
and c> ,&. .
.,. Switch off the ignition and all electrical equip ­
ment .
.,. Open the hood 9 page 324 .
.,. Open the red cover on the positive terminal
c>fig. 272 .
.,. Clamp the charger terminal clamps to the jump
s ta rt pin s
according to the instruct ions . (pin
under the red cover = "positive ", p in with hex­
agonal head= "negative ") .
.,. Inse rt the powe r cable for the charg ing device
i nto the socke t and switch the dev ice on .
.,. At the end of the charging process , switch the
charger off and pull the power cab le out of the
socket .
.,. Remove the charger terminal clamps.
.,. Close the red cover on the positive terminal.
.,. Close the hood c> page 324 .
A WARNING
-A highly explosive mixtu re of gases can form
when cha rging batter ies. On ly charge the
vehicle batte ry in well-ven tilated areas.
- A drai ned vehicle battery can freeze at tem­
peratu res a round 32
QF (0 QC). A froze n or
thawed veh icle bat tery must not be charged
and must not be used anymore. The ba ttery
housing can crac k and battery acid can leak
o ut if ice forms, wh ich increases the r isk of
an exp losion and chemical burns. Contact an
332
author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Service Facility for more information.
- Do not connect or disconnect the charging
cable whi le charging because this increases
the risk of an explos ion.
@ Tips
- Only charge the vehicle battery t hrough the
connect ions in the engine compartme nt.
- Read all of the manufacturer's instructions
for the charger before charging the vehicle
battery.
Windshield washer system
Fi g. 2 7 3 Engine compar tm ent: washer flui d res ervoir cap
The windshield washer fluid reservoir¢ contains
t he cleaning solution for the windshield and th e
headlight washer system *
c> page 325, fig. 268 .
The reservoir capaci ty can be found in
c> page 381.
To reduce the risk of lime scale deposits on the
spray no zzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calcium . Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter . When the outside temperatures are cold, an
anti -freezing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
(D Note
-The concentration o f ant i-freez ing agent
must be adjusted to the ve hicle operat ing
conditions in the respective climate . A con­
cent ration t hat is too high can lead to vehi­
cl e damage.
- Never add radiator anti-freeze or other addi­
t ives to the washer fluid.

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
-Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint solvents, because this could damage
the paint.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service.
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un­
til the next oil change or next inspection in the
Infotainment system .
.,. Select in the Infotainment system: the I MENU I
button >
Vehicle > left control button > Service
& checks > Service intervals.
Resetting the indicator
An authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility will reset the service interval dis­
play after performing service.
If you have changed the oil yourself, you must re­
set the oil change interval.
.,. Select in the Infotainment system: the !MENUI
button >
Vehicle > left control button > Service
& checks > Service intervals > Reset oil change
interval.
If an oil change or inspection is due, you can ac­
cess it in the Infotainment system. The display
works in two stages:
-Service reminder: after a certain distance is
driven, a message appears in the instrument
cluster display every time the ignition is switch­
ed on. The remaining distance and time is dis­
played briefly.
- Service due: if your vehicle has reached a serv­
ice interval , a message appears briefly after
switching the ignition on.
(D Note
-Only reset the oil change indicator if the oil
was changed.
- Following the service intervals is critical to
maintaining the service life and value of
your vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
Checking and Filling
the mileage on the vehicle is low, do not ex­
ceed the time for the next service.
333

Wheels
Wheels
Whee ls and Ti res
General information
.,. Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob ­
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap­ proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
.,.Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,. Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D N ote
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons . Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
33 4
and b raking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
F ig. 27 4 Tire des ignat ions on the side-
wall II>

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
"P" indicate s a tir e for a p ass enger
vehi cle . "T" indicates a tire de sig­
nated for temporary us e.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be­
tween the sidewalls in millime­
ters. In general: the larger the number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Siz e of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load ind ex indi cates the tire' s
lo ad-ca rry in g ca pacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted
speed ¢.& in
W inter tires o n page 349 .
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi­
cate s that the tire i s reinfor ced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up t o 93 mph ( 150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/ h)
Wheels
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s u p to 11 0 mph ( 180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u u p to 124 mph ( 200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 14 9 mph (2 40 km/h) al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)al
w u p to 168 mph (270 km/h) al
y up to 1 86 mph (300 km/h)al
a) Fo r tir es ab ove 149 mph (2 40 km/h),
t ir e man ufact ure rs sometimes use the
co de
"Z R".
(j) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The m anufac ture date i s listed on
the tire sidewall (it ma y only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2216 ...
means, for example , that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2016.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original equipment tire s
with the de signation "AO" ha ve
been specially matched to your
Audi. When used correctl y, these
tires meet the high est standards
for safety and handling. An au­
thorized Audi dealer o r author­
ized Audi Ser vice Fa cilit y will be
a ble to pr ovide you with more in-
formation .
""
335