ECU AUDI A4 2015 User Guide

7 4 Seats and storage
If nothing is hung on the hooks, they will fold
back in by themselves.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will turn into heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle p ick up ki­
netic energy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the
most significant factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (5 kg) object a re about
20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be the
equ ivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger
compartment can cause in a collision at a
speed considered relatively low .
8_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­ ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward .
- Never attach a child seat tether strap to
a tie -down.
- For strength-related reasons, the mount­
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob­
jects weighing up to 10 lb. (5 kg) . Heavi ­
er objects will not be adequately secured
- there is a r isk of injury.
Tie-downs
Applies to vehicles: with tie-downs
Four tie-downs for securing luggage pieces
and two for hanging bags , sacks, etc. are
lo­
cated in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 86 Lugg age compart ment: tie-down s
,.. Secure objects using elastic cords attached
to the tie-downs* ¢
fig. 86.
,.. Read and heed all WARNINGS ¢ page 132,
Stowing luggage .
· Bag hooks
Applies to vehicles: with bag hooks
Light objects can be secured on the hooks.
Fig. 87 Right side of the luggage compar tment : bag
hook s
You can also use the hooks to hang light purs­
es, bags, etc.
_&. WARNING
The hooks can hold a maximum weight of
3 kg. Heavier objects are not adequately
secured. There is risk of personal injury.

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Luggage compartment covering (reversible mat )
Applies to vehicles: w it h lugg ag e compart men t cove ring
The reversi ble mat protects the luggage com­
partment and bumper from dirt and scratch­ es.
Fig. 88 Luggage compartment: reversible mat wit h
backrest folded forward
You can use the reversible mat with the dirt­
resistant side or the decorative side. After
loading or unloading, fold up the reversible
mat and close the luggage compartment lid.
Only store the reversible mat if it is dry .
Securing attachments
Applies to vehicles: with sec uring attachments
The securing attachments prevent objects in
the luggage comportment from sliding bock
and forth.
,.
Fig. 89 Luggage compart men t: securi ng attachments
Make sure the backrests are folded upright
and the partition net is installed¢.&_ .
Installing securing strap @
.,. Set the holder for the securing strap in the
opening of the track system.
.,. Push the holder down
(D and slide it into
the desired position.
Seats and storage 75
.,. Check that the holder has latched into place.
.,. Push the knob on the front side of the hold­
er @ to tighten the strap.
Installing telescoping rod @
.,. Insert both brackets for the telescoping
rods into the openings in the rails .
.,. Push the holder down
(D and slide it into
the desired position .
.,. Check that the holder has latched into place.
The securing strap can also be attached as
needed on the right side of the track system
instead of the telescoping track¢
fig. 89.
&_ WARNING ~
-The backrest must be securely latched in
position so that no items contained in
the luggage compartment can slide for­
ward upon sudden braking.
- Loose items inside the passenger com­
partment, can fly forward in a crash or
sudden maneuver and injure occupants.
, Ski sack
App lies to vehicles: wit h ski sack
Long objects such as skis or snowboards con
be transported in the ski sock.
Fig. 90 Backrest: pass-through cover
Fig. 91 Rear bench seat: sec uring the sk i sack

76 Seats and storage
Loading
.,. Fold the rear seat center armrest down .
.,. Fold the pass-through cover
¢
fig. 90 -arrow -down.
.,. Slide the ski sack from the luggage com­
partment through the pass-through with
the z ipper at the rear ¢.&. -
Securing
.,. Insert the ski sack strap @ ¢fig. 91 in the
center buckle @.
.,. Pull the safety belt taut on the free end of
the belt @.
A WARNING
-The ski sack is intended only for the
transportation of skis and other light ob ­
jects . To reduce the risk of serious per­
sonal injury, never transport heavy or
pointed objects in the ski sack.
- When braking rapidly or during an acci­
dent, the load could be displaced and
cause injury to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be covered
for protection. Always fasten the belt
tightly around the sack and its contents
¢fig. 91.
- For safety reasons, do not transport
more than two pairs of skis in the ski
sack.
- You must secure the ski sack with the
strap after loading.
- Make sure that all objects you are trans­
porting in the pass-through are secured.
Otherwise they could slide around during
sudden braking maneuvers and cause in­
juries.
(D} Tips
- Never stow the ski sack away when it is
still wet or damp (for example, snow
melting from skis). Allow it to dry com­
pletely before stowing it away.
- When transporting skis or snowboards,
tighten the securing strap between the
bindings. -
Position skis in the ski sack with the
pointed ends facing the front and ski
poles with the pointed ends facing the
rear.
- Sedan: You can lock or unlock the pass­
through using the mechanical key. This
prevents any access to the luggage com­
partment from the vehicle inte rior.
Reversible cargo area floor (dirt
collecto r)
Applies to vehicles: with reversible cargo area floor
You con transport dirty or damp objects in the
reversible cargo area floor
Fig. 92 Luggage compart ment : cargo area floor
Fig. 93 Luggage compartment: cargo area floor re·
versed
Reversing the cargo area floor
.,. Lift the cargo area floo r using the handle
¢ fig. 92 -arrow- .
.,. Flip the floor over and install it.
Parcel shelf
., U1 .,
-><
~
The parcel shelf behind the rear seatback can
be used to carry light items of clothing .
ll>-

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Shift to N or P to start engine
This message appears when attempting to
start the engine if the selector lever for the
automatic transmission is not in the P or N
position. The engine can only be started with
the selector in these positions .
!!I Is the key in the vehicle?
This message appears if the master key is re­
moved from the vehicle with the engine run­
ning.
If the master key is no longer in the ve­
hicle, you cannot switch on the ignition after
stopping the engine and you also cannot start
the engine again. Moreover, you cannot lock
the vehicle from the outside with the key.
Shift to P otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
This message appears for safety reasons
along with a warning signal.
It appears if the
selector lever for the automatic transmission
is not in the P position when switching off the
ignition. Move the selector lever to the P posi­
tion, otherwise the vehicle is not secured
against rolling away. You also cannot lock the
vehicle using the locking button* on the door
handle or using the remote key.
Convenience key defective! Use ignition lock
This message appears if the engine must be
started or stopped using the ignition key and
not the
I START ENGINE STOP! button.
On the road 87
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking broke replaces
the hand broke.
Fig. 101 Center co nsole: Parking b rake
.,. Pull on the switch@¢ fig. 101 to apply the
parking brake. The indicator lights in the
switch and • (USA models) . (Cana-
da models) in the instrument cluster illumi­
nate .
"'With the ignition switched on, step on the
brake pedal or the accelerator pedal and
press the switch @at the same time to re­
lease the parking brake. The indicator lights
in the switch and. (USA models)/ . (Can­
ada models) in the instrument cluster go
out.
Your vehicle is equipped with an electrome­
chanical parking brake. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling unintentionally and replaces the hand brake.
In addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tional hand brake, the electromechanical
parking brake provides various convenience
and safety functions .
When starting from rest
- The integral starting assist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the park­
ing brake ¢
page 88, Starting from rest.
-When starting on inclines , the starting as-
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentional-
ly rolling back. The braking force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient
111>

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-Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail­
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
mJ illu­
minates and a driver message appears
¢ page 99 when the clutch is overload­
ed .
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 212. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake ap­ plied .
0 Note
-S tronic- and tiptronic transmission:
When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the transmis­
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti­
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission: Al­
lowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is in N will damage the transmission be­
cause it is not lubricated under those cir­
cumstances .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driv ­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Transmission 97
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th mult itronic/ S tro nic/tiptro nic
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de­ scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may still be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
¢ page 91 , hill descent control is also activat­
ed when the speed is set.
.&_ 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 .

108 Audi adapti ve cruise control and br aking guard
- If a co llision is imminent, the system will
first provide an
acute wa rning by bri efly and
sharp ly app ly ing the brakes .
- If you do not react to the ac ute warning ,
braking guard can brake within the limits of
the system. This reduces the veh icle speed
in the event of a collis ion.
- At speeds under 20 mph (30 km/h), the sys ­
tem can in it iate a complete deceleration
s hortly before a collision
l) .
-If the braking guard senses that you are not
braking hard enough when a collision is im­
minent, it can increase the braking force.
Which function s can be contr oll ed ?
You can switch braking g uard and the dis­
tance/approach warning on or off in the radio
or MM I c> poge 108, Settings in the radio/
MMI.
A WARNING
Lack of attention can cause col lisions, oth­
er accidents and serious persona l injuries.
The b raking guard is an assist system and
cannot p revent a col lis ion by itself. The
dr iver m ust always in tervene . T he d rive r is
always responsib le for br aking at the cor­
rect time.
- Always pay close attention to traffic,
even when the bra king guard is switched
on. Be ready to intervene and be ready to
take complete control whenever necessa­
ry. A lways keep the safe and legal dis­
tance between your vehicle and vehicles
up ahead.
- Braking guard works w ith in limits and
will not respond outs ide the system lim­
its, for example when approaching a
stopped vehicle or stationary obstacle
(end of a traff ic jam or veh icle that has
broken down in traffic).
- Always remember that the radar sensor
for the braking guard wo rks only within
defined detection and range limits that
l ) Th is is not available in some c oun tri es.
may prevent the proper detection of oth­
er vehicles.
- The radar sensor's function and range
can be reduced by rain, snow and heavy
spray. Moving veh icles up ahead may not
be prompt ly detected or may not be de­
tected at all .
- Reflective surfaces including crash barri­
ers or tunne l entrances may impair the
function of the radar sensor .
(D Tips
- You can cancel the braking that is in it iat­
ed by the system by braking yourse lf, by
accelerating not iceably or by swerving .
- Braking guard error messages
c>poge 109.
- Keep in mind that brak ing guard can
brake unexpectedly. Always secure any
cargo or objects that you are transport­
ing to reduce the risk of damage or in­
jury .
Settings in the radio/MMI
App lies to vehicles : wit h Audi ada ptive cr uise contro l
., Select: !CARI function button> Car sy ste m s*
contro l but ton > Driver a ssist> Audi brak ­
ing guard .
Or
., Select: !CAR I function button> Audi b raking
gua rd.
S ys tem -
Switch A udi braking guard On and
Off . When you switch the ignition on, the
message
Audi b raking guard off appears if
the system is switch ed off .
Ea rly warnin g -The distance and approach
warnings in the display can be switched
On/
Off .
(D Tips
-Yo ur settings are automatically s tored
and assigned to the remote contro l key
being used at the times the settings are
made.

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-Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un ­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
erly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats <=:>
page 165 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat <=:>
page 144.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas-
Driving Safely 129
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. Make sure that the seatback is securely
latched in the upright position <=:>
page 71.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seating position, slide the center head re­
straint upward at least to the next notch.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<=:> page 139 .
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in
a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age
<=:> page 165.
& WARNING ~
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the seatback is securely latch­
ed in the upright position and the safety
belts are properly positioned on the
body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
injury from improperly positioned safety
belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection . •
•

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-never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
8_ WARNING
-
Improper seat ing positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants stay in a proper seating pos ition
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
M ake sure that all pedals move freely without
i nte rferen ce and that no thing prevents them
from re tu rning to the ir origin al posi tions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area
free and can be secured w ith floor mat fasten­
e rs.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l
travel is required to br ing the vehicle to a full
stop.
8_ WARNING
Pedals that canno t move freely ca n cause
loss o f vehicle control a nd incr ease the r is k
o f serious injury.
- Never pl ace any ob jects in the d river's
f ootwell. An object could ge t into the
peda l area and inter fere with pedal func­
tion . In case of s udden braking or an ac­
c ident, you would not be able to brake or
accele rate!
Dr iving S afel y 131
-Always ma ke sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Make s ure t hat the f loor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the peda ls
c> &_ .
Use only f loor mats that leave the peda l area
u nobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip o ut of position. You can
obta in suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi dealer.
Floor mat faste ners are insta lled in your Audi.
Floor mats used in yo ur vehicle mus t be at­
tached to these fastene rs . P rope rly securing
the floor mats wi ll prevent them from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operat ion of your vehicle
in other ways.
8_ WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious persona l injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured .
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be prope rly secured in p lace to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
the peda ls o r the a bility to cont ro l t he
veh icle.
- Never place or ins tall floor mats o r other
f loor coverings on top o f al ready in stal­
led floo r mats . Ad ditiona l floo r mats and
o ther cover ings will red uce the size of
the peda l area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always prope rly reinstall and secure floo r
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing .
•
•

132 Driving Safel y
-Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwe ll wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
contro l.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secur ed in the luggage com­
partment.
Fig. 141 S afe load positio nin g: place heavy objects as
l ow a nd a s far forward as pos sible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle hand ling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
.,. Distribute the load even ly in the luggage
compartment .
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as possible¢
fig. 141.
.,. Secure the load with the cargo net* or with
non -elastic straps secured to the tie-downs*
¢ page 73 ¢page 74.
.,. Make sure that the rea r seatback is secu rely
latched in place.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly throug h the vehicle ca using serious
personal inj ury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the r isk
of serious personal injury: -
Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com ­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
.&_ WARNING
-
Heavy loads w ill influence the way your ve­
hicle handles . To help reduce the risk of a
l oss of cont rol leading to serious personal
in jury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling :
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and hand le differently.
- Please observe information on safe dr iv­
ing
c:> page 126.
.&_ WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
a rea because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
red uce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switc h off the ai r rec irc ulat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.

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A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­dows, the sunroof and the rear lid are se ­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
c:>poge234.
Driving Safely 133
Tie-downs
App lies to veh icles : w ith tie -d owns
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c:> page 132 , Loading the luggage com ­
partment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller i tems that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
----Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
senger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down . •
•