2018 AUDI A4 ignition

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A WARNING
-
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retrac­
tor cannot hold the child safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
-Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always make sure that the rear seat back­
rest to which the center rear safety belt* is
attached is securely latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used to se­
cu re a ch ild restraint .
-If the backrest is not securely latched, the
child and the child restraint will be thrown
forward together w ith the backrest and will
strike parts of the vehicle interior. The ch ild
can be se riously injured or killed .
-Never install rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on the front passenger
seat . A child will be serious ly injured and
can be killed when the passenger airbag in­
flates.
-The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the ch ild safety seat and chi ld
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof .
-Always install rear-facing child safety seats
or infant carriers on the rear seat.
-Forward-fac ing ch ild safety seats or infant
carriers installed on the front passenger's
seat may interfere with the deployment of
the a irbag and cause serious injury to the
child .
-It is safer to install a forward -fac ing ch ild
safety seat on the rear seat .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a veh icle is
being used
~ page 295 . Specia l precaut ions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
~ page 2 72, Child
Ch ild safety
restraints an the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
A WARNING
-A lways take special precautions if you must
i nstall a forward or rearward-facing child re­
stra int on the front passenger's seat in excep ­
tional s ituations:
-Whenever a forward or rearward-fac ing
child restraint is installed on the front pas ­
senger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
~; light must come on and stay on whenev­
er the ign ition is switched o n.
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ~; light
does not come on and stay on, perform the
checks desc ribed
~ page 283, Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System.
-Take the child restra int off the front passen­
ge r seat and install it prope rly at one of the
rear seat positions i f the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG
OFF ~; light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on .
-Improper installat ion of child res tra ints can
reduce their effectiveness or even prevent
them f rom providing any protect ion .
-An improperly installed child restraint can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
serious ly injure or even kill the chi ld.
-Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instr uctions provided with the child safety
seat or carr ier .
- After checking to make sure that the c hild
restraint is properly installed, make certain
that the child restraint is correctly recog­
n ized by the capacitive passenger detection
system in the front passenger seat and that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ~; light sig­
na ls the cor rect front passenger fronta l air­
bag status.
A WARNING
F orwa rd-facing child restra ints:
-Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has bee n des igned and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
-
307

Child safety
-Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan­
el.
- Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down ad­
justment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possible, before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint.
- Always make sure that the safety belt upper
anchorage is behind the child restraint and
not next to or in front of the child restraint
so that the safety belt will be properly posi­
tioned.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF~ ; light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, door
or roof .
- Always be especially careful if you must in­
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir­
cumstances .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF~; light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF~; light
does not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer .
308
· Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer 's
instructions when installing a child restrain t in
your vehicle . To activate the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably
on the rear seat .
.. Slowly pull the belt all the way out.
.. Route it around or through the child restraint
belt path
~ ,&. .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that
seating position.
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor un­
til the belt lies flat and snug on the child safety
seat.
.. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt
winds back into the inertia reel. Test the con ­
vertible locking retractor by pulling on the belt.
You should no longer be able to putt the belt
out of the retractor. The convertible locking re­
tractor is now activated .
.. Make sure that the red release button is facing
away from the child restraint so that it can be
unbuckled quickly.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is
properly tight and fastened so that the seat
cannot move forward or sideways more than
one inch (2 .5 cm) .
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improp­
erly installed child restraint can cause serious
personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retrac­
tor cannot hold the child safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a crash.

Checking and Filling
filler door. For additional information on fuel,
see
<=> page 315.
The fuel tank capacity of your vehicle is listed in
the
Technical Data section <=> page 381.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel
tank always close fuel cap properly and com­
pletely . An improperly closed fuel filler cap may
also cause the MIL lamp
<=>page 24 to come on.
A WARNING
Not paying attention when fueling or han­
dling fuel incorrectly can lead to fires, explo­
sions or serious injuries.
- Fuel ignites easily and can cause serious
burns and other injuries .
- If you do not switch the engine off when fu­
eling and/or do not insert the fuel nozzle
completely into the tank opening, fuel can
leak out or run over. Leaked fuel can ignite
and start a fire .
- Do not use the telephone while fueling. The
electromagnetic rays can cause sparks,
which can ignite fuel vapors and start a fire.
- Do not sit in your vehicle while fueling. If
you must make an exception and enter your
vehicle again while fueling, close the door and touch metal to discharge static electric­
ity before touching the fuel nozzle . Static
electricity can create sparks, which can ig­
nite vapors when fueling.
- Do not smoke or have an open flame in the
area when fueling your vehicle or filling a
fuel container because this increases the
risk of an explosion .
-For your safety , carrying fuel containers in
your vehicle is not recommended. Whether
full or empty, the container can leak and
cause a fire in the event of an accident.
-If you must make an exception and trans­
port a fuel container, note the following:
- Never fill the fuel container with fuel
while it is in or on the vehicle . Stat ic elec ­
tricity is discharged when filling which can
cause the fuel vapors to ignite and in­
creases the risk of an explosion.
- Always place a fuel container on the
ground before filling.
318
-Always hold the fuel nozzle completely in
the fuel container when filling.
-If the fuel container is made of metal, the
fuel nozzle must always be in contact with
the container when filling it with fuel. This
prevents static electricity from discharg­
ing .
-Never spill fuel in the vehicle or the lug­
gage compartment . Evaporated fuel is ex­
plosive and increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death .
- Follow legal requirements when using, storing and transporting fuel containers .
-Make sure the fuel container conforms to
industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F8S2 -86).
{(D Note
- Remove spilled fuel from vehicle paint im­
mediately, because it can damage paint.
- Never drive until the fuel tank is completely
empty. The irregular supply of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause engine misfires.
Uncombusted fuel will enter the exhaust
system and increase the risk of damage to
the catalytic converter.
- If the fuel tank runs completely empty in a
vehicle with a
diesel engine, the ignition
must remain switched on for at least 30
seconds after refueling before starting the
engine.
It may take longer than usual for
the engine to start, even up to a minute.
This is because the air must first bleed out
of the fuel system when starting the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not overfill the fuel tank, otherwise fuel
can leak out when the vehicle is warming up.
@ Tips
Diesel vehicles are equipped with a diesel mis­
fueling guard.
It allows the vehicle to be fu­
eled only with a diesel fuel pump nozzle. A
worn or damaged nozzle or a nozzle that is
too small may not be able to open the diesel
misfueling guard. If this is the case, try turn­
ing the nozzle before inserting it in the fuel
filler neck, use a different fuel pump, or see
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an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually.
Fig. 262 Luggage co mpartment: opening the side trim
panel
Fig . 263 Luggage compartment: fuel filler door e merge ncy
r elease
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment.
... Open the cover in the side panel ¢fig. 262.
... Loosen the loop c;, fig. 263 from the retainer
and then pull on the loop carefully
¢(D . The
filler door is released .
... Press on the left side of the fuel filler door to
open it
¢ page 317, fig. 260.
(D Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel resistance.
You will not hear it release . Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­
nism.
Checking and Filling
Selective catalytic
reduction (AdBlue/DEF)
General information
Applies to: vehicles with selec tive catalytic reduction
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdBlue/DEF) is injected into the
exhaust system in front of a nitrogen oxide cata­
lytic converter to reduce nitrogen emissions. The
urea solution is known as Ad Blue or DEF (Diesel
Exhaust Fluid). The information that follows w ill
use the name AdBlue.
The Ad Blue is carried in a separate tank in the ve­
hicle. The AdBlue usage accounts for approxi­
mately 1.0% to 4 .0% of the diesel fuel that is
used .
When a message about refilling the AdBlue ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display, you must
refill the AdBlue yourself or have it refilled by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility
c;, page 320 .
{D Tips
-The display indicates the distance remaining
that can be dr iven
c;, page 319. If the Ad Bl­
ue tank is completely empty, the engine will
not start again after the ignition is switched
off.
-Ad Blue is required by law to operate this ve­
hicle.
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Appl ies to: vehicles wi th selective catalytic reduction
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction.
AdBlue level low
You will be informed in the instrument cluster
display if the AdBlue in the tank drops below a
certain level. Add at a minimum the amount of
AdBlue shown in the message:
II Refill with at least x qt (l) Ad Blue. Range
x mi (km )
319

Checking and Filling
This message appears when there is only enough
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
instrument cluster . Fill the Ad Blue .
• Refill with at least x qt (l) Ad Blue. No en­
gine start in x mi (km). See owner's manual
This message appears when there is only enough
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
instr ument cluster. Fill the Ad Blue. Otherwise
the engine will not start again if you stop it once
the d istance indicated has been driven .
• Refill with at least x qt (l) AdBlue. Engine
start not possible . See owner's manual
This message appears when the AdBlue tank is
empty. Fill the AdB lue. Otherwise you will not be
able to start the engine again once you stop it .
The AdBlue must be refilled when the amount in
the tank has reached the minim um level
c::> page 320, Preparation.
Incorrect filling/system malfunction
A message appears if the Ad Blue tank was filled
with a fluid other than AdBlue and the system has detected that the tank was fi lled incorrectly ,
or if there is a system malfunction .
II Ad Blue: malfunction! No engine start in
x mi (km). See owner's manual
This message appears when it is only possible to
drive the d istance ind icated in the instrument
cluster. Drive to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to have
the malfun ction corrected. Otherwise the engine
will not start again if you stop it once the dis­
tance indicated has been driven .
• Ad Blue: malfunction! No engine start possi­
ble. See owner's manual
This message appears if the system has detected
that the tank was filled incorrectly or that there
is a malfunction . Drive immediately to the near ­
est authorized Aud i dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility to have the malfunction cor rect­
ed. Otherwise you will not be able to start the en­
g in e again once you stop it .
320
Preparation
App lies to : vehicles with selective cata lyt ic reduct ion
Fig. 264 R ig ht re ar sid e o f th e ve hicle: removing th e Ad B l­
ue cap
The Ad Blue tank open ing is located near the die­
sel tank opening. Add at least the amount of
Ad Blue shown in the instrument cluster display.
This is the minimum amount required to ensure
the system detects the refilling and to start the
engine. You can add a maximum of 6 .3 gallons
(24
L) .
Requ irement: the request to add Ad Blue must
appear in the instrument cluster display .
.. Switch the ignition off.
.. Open the tank fille r doo r c::> page 317 .
.. Turn the tank filler neck cap to the left to re­
move
c::> fig. 264 .
.. Refill Ad Blue using a pump no zzle c::> page 321,
a canister c::> page 321 or a bottle c::>page 321.
A WARNING
AdBlue can irritate the skin, eyes and respira­
tory system .
If there is contact with the fluid,
flush immed iately w ith plenty of water . Con­
sult a physician if necessary .
(D Note
-Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the
standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any addi­
ti ves wi th the Ad Blue and do not dilute it
with water .
- Do not add AdBlue to the diesel tank or add
diesel fuel to the Ad Blue tank. Do not start
the engine under any circumstances if the
wrong fuel is filled in the tank. There is a

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Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
F or wo rk in th e en gine c ompar tment , suc h as
ch eckin g and fi llin g flu id s, th ere is a risk of in­
j u ry , sca lding , acci dent s, a nd b urn s. Fo r this
re aso n, follow all the warnin gs and ge nera l
safet y pr eca uti ons pr ov ided in the follow ing in ­
form ation . Th e e ng ine c ompartm en t is a d an­
ger ous a re a .
~ ,&. .
_& WARNING
- T urn the engine off.
- Switch the ign ition off .
- Set the parking brake .
- Shift the gearshift lever to neutral in vehicles with a manual transm ission and se­
lect the P selector lever posit ion in vehicles
with an automatic transmission .
- Let the engine coo l down.
- Never open the hood when there is steam or coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you cou ld
be burned . Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill flu ids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the anti-freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) can ignite.
- Avoid sho rt circu its in the e lectrical system.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can sw itch
on even if the ign ition is switched off , which
increases the risk of inj ury .
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the eng ine is warm. The
cooling system is under press ure.
- T o protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the eng ine cover under any
c ircumstances . This increases the risk of
burns .
Check ing and Filling
-If tests need to be performed with the en­
gine running, there is add itiona l danger due
to mov ing components (such as the ribbed
belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
-Do not under any circumstances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from the engine compartment) if the veh i­
cle is stat ionary but the eng ine is running
and a gea r is engaged. Otherwise, the veh i­
cle will start to move immed iate ly and this
could result in an accident.
- Pay attent ion to the following warn ings
when wor k on the fue l system is required :
- Do not smoke.
- Never work near open flames.
-Always have a working fi re extinguisher
nearby.
-All work on the battery or electrical system in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi­
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
o nly by an
author iz ed Audi dealer or author iz ed Audi
Serv ice Facility.
-To reduce the r isk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components
when the engine is runn ing or is being start­
ed:
- Ign ition cable
- Other components in the e lectronic high-
vo ltage ign ition system
-I f you must check or perform wo rk on the
engine wh ile it is running:
-First, set the parking brake and and move
the gearshift lever to neutral (for manual
transm issions) or select the P selector lev­
er position (for automatic transm iss ions).
- Always proceed w ith extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie bac k long hair befo re beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can hang down into the engine.
-Lim it your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
¢ .&. .
32 3

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(D Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine.
@ Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
it. Instead, check the oil level in your en­
gine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and always before going
on a long trip.
-If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­
mend that you consult an authorized Audi
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that the
accurate measurement of oil consumption
requires great care and may take some
time. An authorized Audi dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measure oil consump­
tion accurately.
Checking the engine oil level and adding
engine oil
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info ­
tainment system
Fig. 269 Engine compa rtment: eng ine oil filler opening
cove r
Checking the engine oil level
- Park the vehicle on a level surface.
- Shut the engine off when it is warm.
0 N
-N
" 00 IX)
-Switch only the ignition back on. Wait approxi-
mately two minutes so that the engine oil can
flow back into the oil pan .
Checking and Filling
- Select in the Infotainment system: the !MENUI
button > Vehicle > left control button > Service
& checks > Oil level.
-Check the oil level in the Infotainment system
display. Add engine oil if the bar in the oil level
indicator is just before "min".
Adding engine oil Follow the safety precautions
~&. in Working in
the engine compartment on page 323.
- Stop the engine and open the hood
~page 324 .
-Unscrew the cap~ on the engine oil filling
opening
~ fig. 269, Qpage 325.
- Carefully add O .S quart (O .S liter) of the correct
oil
~ page 325.
- Close the engine oil filler opening cap.
- Close the hood, restart the ignition after two
minutes and read the current oil level in the In ­
fotainment system.
A WARNING ...__ --When adding oil, do not let oil drip onto hot
engine components. This increases the risk
of afire.
-You must secure the cap on the oil filler
opening correctly so that oil does not leak
out onto the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running, because this is
a fire hazard.
-Always clean skin thoroughly if it comes into
contact with engine oil.
0 Note
- The engine oil level must not be under the
"min" marking, because this increases the
risk of engine damage.
- If the message II Please reduce oil level
appears, there is too much oil in the engine
and there is a risk of damaging the catalytic
converter and engine. Do not start the en­
gine. Contact an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility to have ex­
cess engine oil extracted if necessary.
- Do not mix any additional lubricants into
the engine oil. Damage caused by such addi-
tives is not covered by the warranty.
IJJ>
327

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