2018 AUDI A4 engine overheat

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A WARNING
Do not assume the roads are free of ice based
on the outside temperature display . Be aware
that there may be ice on roads even when the outside temperature is around 41 °F (+5 °C)
and that ice can increase the risk of accidents.
@ Tips
- Depending on vehicle equipment, the in ­
strument illumination (needles and gauges) may turn on when the lights are off and the
ignition is switched on . The illumination for
the gauges reduces automatically and even­
tually turns off as brightness outside in­
creases. This function reminds the driver to
turn the low beams on at the appropriate
time .
- You can select the units used for tempera­
ture, speed and other measurements in the
Infotainment system
c::> page 248.
- If your vehicle is stationary or if you are driv­
ing at very low speeds, the temperature dis­
played may be slightly higher than the ac­
tual temperature outside due to the heat ra­
diating from the engine .
- At temperatures below 41 °F ( +5 °C), a
snowflake symbol appears in front of the
temperature display
c::> A .
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature
display @c::> page 10,
fig. 3 or c::> page 10, fig. 4 only functions when
the ignition is switched on. To prevent engine
damage, please observe the following notes
about the temperature ranges.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet . Avoid high engine speeds, full ac­
celeration and heavy engine loads.
Normal range
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on. If
the. indicator light in the instru-
Cockpit overview
ment cluster display turns on, the coolant tem­
perature is too high
c::> page 30.
(D Note
- Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-air intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the risk of the engine overheating during
high outside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load.
- The front spoiler also helps to distribute cooling air correctly while driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over ­
heating will increase . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­ cility for assistance .
@ Tips
Diesel engines: due to the high efficiency of
these engines, the engine may not always reach operating temperature in cold outside
temperatures . This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
Engine oil temperature display and boost
indicator
App lies to : vehicles wi th engine o il temperatu re display/boost
indica tor
Appl ies to : vehicles wi th analog ins trumen t cl uster
The engine oil temperature and boost indicator
are only shown in the lap timer display
c::> page 106.
Engine oil temperature indicator
Applies to : vehicles wit h Audi v ir tu al coc kpit
The engine oil temperature is only shown in the
expanded view or in the sport view
c::> page 15.
When engine oil temperatures are low, the dis­play--- °F
(---°C) appears in the instrument clus­
ter.
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture when the engine oil temperature is between 176 °F (80 °C) and 248 °F (120 °C) under normal
driving conditions. The engine oil temperature
.,,.
11

Cockpit overv iew
may be higher if there is heavy eng ine load and
high temperatures outside . This is not a cause for
concern as long as
the .¢ page 31 or II
¢ page 31 indicator lights do not turn on.
Boost ind icator
Applies to: vehicles with Audi virtual cockpit
The boost indicator is only displayed in the sport
view
¢ page 15 .
The current eng ine load (meaning the current
boost pressure) is indicated by a bar .
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute
(RPM).
The beginning of the red zone in the tachometer
indicates the maximum perm iss ible engine speed
for all gears once the engine has been broken in
and when it is warmed up to operating tempe ra­
ture. Before reaching this zone, you should sh ift
i n to the next h ighest gear, select the D/S selec­
tor lever position, or remove yo ur foot from the
accelerator pedal.
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer @ ¢ page 10,
fig . 3
o r¢ page 10, fig. 4 may only be in the
red area of the gauge for a short time or there
is a risk of engine damage . The location where
the red zone begins varies depending on the
eng ine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re­
duces operating noise.
Fuel level
The display (J) ¢ page 10, fig. 3 or ¢ page 10,
fig . 4
only functions when the ignition is switch­
ed on . When the display has reached the reserve
mark, a red LED turns on and the
tD in dicator
light tu rns
on ~ page 34. The red LED wi ll blink
when the fuel level is ve ry low.
12
For the tank capacity in your vehicle, refer to the
Technical
Data ¢ page 381.
CD Note
Never drive until the tank is comp letely emp­
ty. The irregu lar supply of fuel that results
from that can cause engine misfires . Uncom­
busted fue l w ill then enter the exhaust sys­
tem. This can cause overheating and damage
to the catalyt ic converter.
Odometer
Fig . 5 In st rum en t cluster : odometer and reset b utto n
Trip odomet er and odometer
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
s ince it was last reset.
It can be used to measure
short distances.
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by press ­
ing
the ~ reset button.
The odometer shows the total distance that the
vehicle has been driven.
Malfunction indicator
If there is a malfunction in the instrument clus­
ter,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer disp lay.
Have the malfu nction corrected as soon as possi­
ble.
(j) Tips
The units of measu rement can be set in the
I nfotainment system
¢ page 248 .

Cockpit over view
There is not enough braking force to hold the ve­
hicle in place . The brakes have overheated. The
veh icle cou ld ro ll away even on a small incline .
Ill (U SA mod els)/ lC@j (C an ad a model s) Parking
brake : applied
If th is message appears, press the brake pedal
fi rst a nd the n release the pa rk ing bra ke if neces­
sary.
II ( U SA model s)/ l(@j (Canada mo dels) Parking
brak e: emerg ency braking
The emergency braking function was triggered .
Please rele ase park ing b rake
Release the par king brake if t his message ap ­
pears.
Plea se pr ess brak e pedal to rel ease parking
brak e
To release the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press
the ~ button at the same time,
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
9 page 89,
Starting to drive.
(D Tips
For add it ional information on the park ing
brake, see
9 page 88.
-L Cooling system
• Turn off engin e and che ck co ola nt level. See
o w ner 's manual
The coolant leve l is too low.
Do not cont inue driving and switch the engine
off . Check the coolant level
9 page 329.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
9 page 329. On ly cont inue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off .
• Coolant t emper atu re: too high. Let e ngi ne
run with vehicle st ationar y
Let the eng ine run at id le for a few minutes to
coo l off, until the indicator light turns off .
- If the indicato r ligh t does not turn off, do not
contin ue driving the vehicle. See an au thorized
30
Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping .
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dange rous area . Stop the engine and
allow it to cool befo re working in the engine
compa rtment. Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
9 page 323, Working in the
engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . indicator
li ght turns on as this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
~ Safety belt
The . indicator light stays on until the dr iver's
and front passenger's safety belts are fastened.
Above a certain speed, there will a lso be a warn­
i ng tone.
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on safety belts,
see
Q page 263.
0 Generator/Vehicle battery
If the . or(•) indicator light turns on, there is a
malfunction in the generator or the vehicle e lec­
trical system .
• Electrical sy stem: malfunction! Saf ely stop
v ehicle
Do not continue dr iving and switch the engine
off. See an authorized Audi dealer or autho rized
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
(•j Ele ctri cal system: m alfunc tion! Re sta rt not
po ssible. Plea se cont act Ser vice
The vehicle battery was disconnected from the
vehicle e lectr ica l system and will no longer

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C© ) Brake system
rm Brakes overheating . Please shift to D
rm Brakes overheating. Please select a gear and
follow gear recommendation
There was a heavy load on the brakes. Engage a
suitable gear (manual transm ission) or place the
selector lever in the D/S position (automat ic
transmission) to use the eng ine braking effect
and reduce the load on the brakes.
~·
:t:J /(0 : Brake pads
II (USA models)/£i1 (Canada models) Brake
pads: wear limit reached. You can continue driv­
ing. Please contact Service
The brake pads are worn.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Facility as soon as possible to have
the malfunct ion corrected .
c:l:::, Engine control
II Drive system: malfunction! Please contact
Service
There is an engine control malfunction .
Drive slow ly to an author iz ed Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility to have the eng ine
checked .
W Engine control (diesel engine )
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engines
The engine is preheating if the II indicato r light
turns on when the ignition is switched o n.
I f the indicator light does not turn on or b links
while driving , there is an eng ine control malfunc ­
tion .
Immediately drive slowly to an authori zed Aud i
dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to have
the malfunction co rrected .
o Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The malfunction indicato r lamp (MIL) is part of
the On -Board Diagnostic System (OBD II). The Cockpit overview
('4 ,;ymbol turns on when the
ignition is switched
on and turns off again once the engine is started
and running at a steady idle speed. This indicates
that the MIL is function ing correctly.
T he indicator light turns on if there is a malfunc­
tion in the engine electronics. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility to
have the malfunction corrected . For additional
information, see
c:::> page 24.
The indicator light can a lso turn on if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correctly
c:::> page 317.
,m,,
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to : vehicles wit h diesel eng ine a nd diesel particulate
filter
II Particulate filter : malfunction! See owner's
manual
T he diese l particulate filter requires regenera­
tion . To support the filter 's self-cleaning func­
tion:
Drive for approximately 15 minutes at a mini ­
mum of 37 mph (60 km/h) in 4th or 5th gear
(manua l transmission) or in the S selector lever
position (automatic transmission). Keep the en­
gine speed at approximately 2,000 RPM . The
temperature increase that will result from th is
can burn off the soot in the filter . The ind icator
light will turn off when the cleaning has complet­
ed successfully .
If the indicator light does not turn off, drive im­
med iate ly to an authori zed Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility to have the malfunct ion
corrected .
A WARNING "---
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order to
follow driving recommendations .
@ Tips
For additional informat ion on the diesel par­
ticulate filter, see
c:::> page 322 .
33

Cockpit overview
!?i Engine speed limitation
(ill Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the instrument cluster. This
protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature
range and you have released the accelerator ped­
al once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the
II indicator
light also turns on. Make sure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam­
ple when downshifting. Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im­
mediately to have the malfunction corrected.
~ ;,,. Engine oil sensor
• Oil level system: malfunction! Please con­
tact Service
The sensor to check the engine oil level has
failed. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
• Oil level sensor: oil change necessary. Please
contact Service
Fuel has entered the engine oil as a result of fre­
quent short drives. Avoid high engine speeds, full
acceleration and heavy engine loads. Drive to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the oil changed .
• Oil pressure sensor: malfunction! Please
contact Service
There is a malfunction in the oil pressure sensor.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
f Engine warm-up request
0 Please warm up engine
Fuel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives.
34
Drive until the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine oil will evaporate. Avoid high engine speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this.
Eli) Tank system
ID Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears, there are about 2.1
gallons (8 liters) of fuel left in the tank.
(jg Please refuel immediately
If the indicator light turns on the message ap­
pears, the fuel tank is almost empty. Refuel the
vehicle immediately.
ID Tank system: malfunction! Please contact
Service
Th ere is a malfunction in the fuel tank system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
{!) Tips
For more information on fueling, see
¢page 317 .
,_ Washer fluid level
m Please add washer fluid
Fill the washer fluid for the windshield washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ignition is switched
off¢ page 332.
· 1 Windshield wipers
II Windshield wipers: malfunction! Please con­
tact Service
There is a malfunction with the windshield wip­
ers.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the malfunction corrected.

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.

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