2018 AUDI A4 light

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N .... 0 0
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@j indicator light appears in the instrument clus­
ter disp lay, the engine will not be stopped, for
examp le in the following situations:
- T he eng ine has not reached the minimum re­
quired temperature for Start/Stop mode.
- T he interior temperature selected by the cli-
mate contro l system has not been reached .
- T he outs ide temperature is ext remely h igh/low.
- The windshield is being defrosted.
- The vehicle battery charge level is too low.
- The steering whee l is turned at a sharp angle or
is mov ing .
- After engaging the reverse gear.
- On sharp inclines.
- At high a ltitudes.
Engine automatically restarts
The standard Start/Stop mode will be cance led
during a stop phase in the follow ing s ituations .
The engine restarts without any action by the
d river.
- The vehicle rolls, for examp le while on a slope.
- The interior temperature differs from the tem-
perature se lected in the A/C system .
- The windshield is being defrosted .
- The brake pedal is pressed several times in a
row.
- The vehicle battery charge level is too low.
- Power consumption is high.
The engine can t urn off again when the condi­
tions for Start/Stop mode are met.
Ignition is switched off automatically
To prevent the veh icle battery from drain ing, the
ignition will switch off automat ica lly under the
following conditions :
- The Start/Stop system has stopped the engine .
- The veh icle is stationary.
- You left the vehicle and the engine was not re -
started within approximately 30 seconds .
I f this happens, you wi ll see the message
Igni­
tion turns off automatically
in the instrument
cluster and the activated low beams are replaced by the parking light. The parking lights will
sw itch off after approximately 30 minutes or
when you lock the vehicle .
Driving
The ignition also switches off when you lock the
vehicle from the outside during a stop phase.
If the Start/Stop system has not turned off the
engine or if you have switched the Start/Stop sys­
tem off manually, the ignition will not be auto ­
matically switched off and the engine will contin­
ue to run
¢ .&..
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never allow
the eng ine to run in confined spaces .
(D Tips
Applies to : vehicles with auto matic transmissions
-
- If you leave the vehicle with the D/S or R se­
lector lever position engaged, the parking
brake is automatically set.
- If you select the D or N selector lever posi­
tion after shifting into reverse, the vehicle
must be driven faster than 6 mph ( 10 km/h)
in o rder fo r the engine to switch off again .
' Manually switching the Start/Stop system
, off/on
Applies to: vehicles wi th Start/Stop syste m
If you do not wish to use the system, you can
switch it off manually.
Fig. 96 Cente r console : Start/Stop system button
.,. To switch the Start/Stop system off/on man­
ually, press the
l v'> ~I button. The LED in the but­
ton turns on when the system is switched off .
(D Tips
If you switch the system off during a stop
phase, the engine will start aga in automati­
cally .
87

Driving
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to: vehicles with Start/Stop system
Automatic start /stop deactivated: Please
re sta rt engin e manually
This message appea rs when specific conditions
are not met dur ing a stop phase. The Sta rt/Stop
system wi ll not be able to restart the engine . The
engine must be started with the
I S TAR T ENGINE STOP I button .
Automatic start /stop system: malfunction!
Function unavailabl e. Ple as e cont act Serv ic e
There is a malfunction in the Start/Stop system .
Drive the vehicle to an authorized Audi dealer or
author ized Service Facility as soon as poss ible to
have the ma lfunction corrected.
Electromechanical
parking brake
F ig. 97 Center console: park ing b rake
Your veh icle is equipped with an electromechani­
cal parking brake
(D ¢ fig. 97. The parking brake
is designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling
un intent ionally and replaces the hand brake .
Setting/manu ally rele asing the parking
brake
~ Pull the(®) switch to set the parking brake. The
LED in the sw itch turns on . The
-(USA mod­
els) ;II (Canada models) indicator light a lso
turns on in the inst rument cluste r display .
~ To release the parking brake manually, press
the brake o r accelerator pedal whi le the igni­
tion is switched on and press
t h e®> switch at
the same time. The LED in the button and the indicator light in the display turn off.
88
Releasing the pa rking brake automatically
Requirement: the drive r's door must be closed.
~ To start d riving and release the pa rking brake
automatically, p ress the accelerator pedal as
usual.
In add ition to releas ing the parking brake auto­
matically, other convenience and safety functions
are avai lab le w hen you sta rt
d rivi ng¢ page 89,
Starting to drive .
Preventing the automatic parking brake
release
The veh icle cou ld beg in ro lli ng u nintentionally,
depe nding on the hill o r if towing a trai le r.
~ To prevent the park ing brake from releasing au­
tomatically, pull and hold
the(®) switch and
press the accele rator peda l. The pa rking brake
remai ns set a nd p revents the vehicle from roll­
ing backwa rd.
~ You can release the®) switch again on ce you
are sure that you are giving enough driving
force to the wheels by pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Eme rgency braking function
You can use t he emergency b raking func tion in an
emergency situation, or i f the standard brake op ­
eration ma lfunctions or is disab led .
~ Pull and ho ld the(®) swi tch.
~ As soon as you re lease the®> switch or acceler -
ate, the braking stops.
P ull ing and ho ld ing
t h e®) sw itch wh ile driving
the ve hicle ac tiva tes the eme rge ncy brak ing func­
tion. The ve hicle is bra ked at a ll four wheels by
activating the hydraulic b rake system . The brak ­
ing effect is sim ilar to heavy
braking ¢ ,A.
To reduce the risk of act ivat ing the emergency
braking by m istake, a w arning tone (buzzer)
sounds when
the© sw itch is p ulled . Emergency
braking stops as soon as
the(®) sw itch is released
o r the accelerator pedal is pressed .
Parking
~ Press the bra ke pedal to stop the veh icle.
~ Pull the®) swi tch to set the par king b rake .

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 :
1111>

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

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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

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
-

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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.