AUDI A4 2015 Owners Manual

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level should be between the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings. When the engine is warm,
the level may be slightly above the "MAX"
marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
<=> page 214.
To obtain an accurate reading , the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System <=>
page 17 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction while ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
Checking and filling 219
or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire.
([) Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add- ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment ,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS <=>
A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 212 .
Requirement: There must be a residual
amount of coolant in the expansion tank <=>(D.
.,. Turn
off the engine.
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
<=> page 218, fig . 185 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise
<=> .&_ .
.,. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
<=> page 218, Coolant up to the MAX mark­
ing.
.,. Make sure that the fluid level remains sta-
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
.,. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications <=>
page 218, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive
G12 ++, G13 or in an emergency G12 +. Do
not
use a different additive. In an emergency use
plain water until you can get the correct addi­
tive and can restore the correct ratio. This
should be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant , then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling . .,.
•
•

220 Check ing and filling
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure re lief valve in the cap when the en ­
g ine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The coo ling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps.
- Turn
off the engine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a co unte r-clockwise d irection while
apply ing light, downward press ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spi ll an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certa in
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can ca tch f ire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
t ifreeze in its original container and we ll
o ut of the reac h of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a p roper con­
ta iner clear ly ma rked "poison".
(D Note
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tan k
i s empty. A ir could enter the cooling sys­
tem and damage the eng ine. If this is
the case, do not continue driving. Seek professional assistance.
- Coolant po llutes the e nv ironment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess coo l­
ant will be forced ou t through the pres ­
su re rel ief v alve in the ca p when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergen cy, only water can be
added, the correct ratio be twee n wa te r
and antifr eeze¢
page 218 must be re ­
stored as soon as possib le .
{® For the sake of the environment
D rained coo lant should not be reused . A l­
ways d ispose of used coolant whi le observ­
i ng a ll environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
T he rad iator fan is driven by the engine v ia the
V-belt. The viscous clutch regulates the spee d
of the fan acco rding to the temperature of the
coolant.
An a uxiliary electric radiator fan* sw itches on
and
off depending on coolant temperature
and othe r vehicle ope rat ing condit ions .
A ft er yo u sw itch the eng ine
off, the aux iliary
f an can continue running for up to 10 m inutes
- even wit h the ignition
off. It can even switc h
on again later by itself¢.&. , if
- t he temper ature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build -up from the engine in
the engine compa rtment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlig ht.
A WARNING ~
- To reduce the risk of perso na l inj ury nev -
er touch the radiator fan.
- The a uxiliary electric fan is tempe rat ure
contro lled and can sw itch on sud denly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan switches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reac hes a certa in temperature and will
continue to ru n until the coolant temper­
ature drops.

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Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N
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Fi g. 186 Eng ine compartment: Cover on the brake flu ­
id reservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lwa ys read and heed a ll W ARN­
ING S c:> .&.. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 212 .
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:> fig. 186, <=> page 214,
fig . 182.
The brake flu id level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
left side
<::;> page 214 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light (U.S. models:~, Canadian
models: .) will come on
r:> page 15. Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete b rake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop and the cause co rrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
indicator light w ill illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
@ Tips
The brake f luid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover .
Checking and fillin g 221
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake flu id will also dec rease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservo ir can be d iff icult to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
i zed
Audi d ealer. Your dealer has t he correct
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING -.
-Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f luid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
spe cificat ion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e Standard 116.
Always check with yo ur authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct bra ke fluid. The correct type of
brake f luid is also indicated on the
brake f luid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong. This can seriously affect the effi­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. Th is cou ld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

222 Check ing and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
Becau se of the pr oblem of proper disposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
requ ired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Unde r normal operating conditions, the bat ­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte ­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by an authorized
Aud i dea ler o r qualified workshop . The elec­
trolyte leve l sho uld a lso be checked each t ime
the battery is charged ¢
page 224.
Have the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service . Yo u are well adv ised to
replace a bat tery that is older tha n 5 yea rs .
W ith certa in types of a irbag deployment, t he
battery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system fo r safety reasons ¢
& in Re­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 157.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power w indow regu­
lato rs, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
m inals a re discon nected. These functions have
to be re lea rned after the batte ry terminals a re
connec ted agai n. T o prevent this, the battery
should o nly be d isconnec ted from the vehicle
e lec trica l syste m when absolu tely necess ary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
I f yo u do not drive you r vehicle over a pe riod
of severa l days or weeks, elec trical co m po­
nen ts are gr adually cu t back o r swi tched off .
T his reduces energy consumption and main­
tains sta rting capab ility over a lon ger period
¢ page 191.
Some o f the conven ien ce f unct ions m ay no t
ope rate, su ch as the in ter ior lights o r the power seat adjus
tment. The convenience
funct ions wi ll be available again when yo u
tu rn on the ignition and sta rt t he engine.
Winter operation
Du ring the w inte r mon ths , b att ery capac ity
tends to dec rease as temperatures drop . This
is beca use more power is a lso consumed w hile
starting, and the headlights, rear win dow de­
f ogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessa ry powe r consumpt ion, pa r­
ticu lar ly in ci ty traffic o r when traveling only
sho rt distances . Let yo ur autho rized A udi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before w inter sets in ¢
page 224. A well
charged battery will not on ly prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery s hou ld be removed and
s tored w her e it w ill not freeze. This will
preve nt i t fr om be ing d amaged and having
t o be repla ced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compar t­
ment under the floor . Befo re you che ck any­
t hi ng in the luggage co mpartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&, .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
i ng on the veh icle ba tte ry or the vehicle e le c­
t ric al sys tem to p reven t inju ry.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM ·
BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye protection .

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&
Battery acid contain s sulfuric acid. Al ·
wa ys wear glove s and e ye protection .
@
No
· sparks
- flame s
- smoking .
~
When a battery i s ch arged, it p roduce s
. hy drogen g as whi ch i s exp losive and
could cau se per sonal inju ry.
®
Always keep the batt ery well out of
re ach of children .
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the r isk of
injury, acc ident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS :
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
your sk in or cloth ing. Sh ield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness o r
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blind ness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye p rotection.
Do not tilt the battery because ac id
could leak out of the vent ilation open ­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in yo ur eyes or
on your sk in, immed iately r inse with
cold water for severa l m inutes and get
medical attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek med ica l attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cab les .
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
wh ich could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury.
-
Checkin g and fillin g
-When a battery is charged, it produces
hyd rogen gas which is explos ive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the elect rical sys ­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­ ble.
- Before performing any work on the e lec­
trical system, switch
off the eng ine and
ignit ion as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. If yo u are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switc h
off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you wi ll set
off the al arm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
discon nect the negat ive cab le and then
the posit ive cab le.
- Before reconnecting the batte ry, ma ke
sure all e lectr ica l cons umers are sw itch ­
ed off . Re connect the pos it ive cable first
and then the negative cable. Neve r in ter ­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never cha rge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery.
It could exp lode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced . A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32°F
(QOC).
- Make s ure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! A l­
ways rep lace a damaged batte ry.
A WARNING
Ca lifornia Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
Ca lifornia to cause cance r and reproduc­
tive problems. Wash hands after han- dling.
~
223
•
•

224 Checking and filling
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage e lectronic components i n the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect t he battery from "freezing", oth­
e rwise it w ill be damaged and w ill then
have t o be repla ced.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
batt ery.
Fig. 187 Eng ine compartment: Connectors for charger
a nd jumper cables
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
c::> & and c::> & in Working on the battery on
page 223 .
•Turnoff th e ignit ion and all electrical con­
sumers.
• Make sure the area is well vent ilated when
yo u cha rge the battery .
• Ope n the engi ne hood
i=!.> page 2 12.
• Open the cove r o n the pos it ive pole
e!.>fig. 187.
• Connect the charger connectors according to
t h e instr uctions to the
jump start bolts.
(Bo lts under the cover = "positive", Bolts
with hex head= "negative").
• Only now plug the mains lead for the charg­
i ng equipment into the wall outlet and turn
i t on
c::> .&,. .
• Make sure the charging rate i s not over
30 amps /14.8 Volt .
• When the battery is fully cha rged: Turn the
charging equipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wall out let.
• Now remove the clamps for the charging
equ ipment.
.,. Close the cover on the positive pole .
.,. Close the hood
c::> page 212.
A discha rged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures of only 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw comp letely before attempting to
charge i t
c::> .&.. However, we recommend not
u sing a thawed batte ry aga in because the ba t­
te ry casing can be c racked due to ic e f orma­
t io n an d can leak ba ttery a cid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate
of
30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When ch arg ing at low vo lta ges (e.g. wi th a
trickle charger ), the ba tte ry cables do not
have to be disconnected f irs t. T he bat tery
caps should
not be opened when charg ing a
battery .
It is no t necessa ry to remove the b att ery from
t h e luggage com partmen t.
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14.8 Volts)
F or te chnica l re asons do not u se a batt ery
ch arger that uses voltage greater than
14 .8
Volts to c harge yo ur vehicle's battery.
A WARNING
.------
C harging a battery can be dan gero us.
-A lways follow t he operati ng inst ru ctions
p rovi ded by the battery charger manu ­
facturer when charg ing your battery.
- Never charge a frozen batte ry . I t may ex­
p lode because of gas trap ped in the ice.
A llow a frozen battery to thaw out f irst.
- Do not reuse batteries w hich were fro­
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened w hen the battery
froze .
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated
area. Keep away from o pen flame or elec­
tr ica l spark. Do not s moke. Hyd rogen gas
ge nera ted by t he battery is explos ive .

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-To r educe the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technician w ith the proper equip­
ment .
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­
ing should be washed
off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu ­
t ralize the acid .
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine . This will seriously dam­
age sensitive elect ronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc. , as we ll
as t he battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intell igent energy management in your veh i­
cle is respons ible for d istr ibuting the e lectr i­
cal energy throughout you r vehicle
¢ page 191. T he inte lligen t en ergy ma nage­
men t system w ill keep the engine b attery
charged be tter then vehicles w ithout this sys­
tem . To make sure t he additional e lectrica l e n­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed t he battery, we recommend that you
install ba tteries of the same type and man u­
facture only (the same as t hose installed at
the t ime your vehicle was delivered) . Specifi­
cations a re listed on the battery hous ing . You r
author ized Audi dealer must code the bat tery
in the energy management system to enable
you to use the energy management functions
correctly after rep lac ing the battery .
I f it is not poss ible to use a battery of this
type, the new bat tery mus t have the s ame ca­
pacity, vo ltage ( 12-volts), ampe rage, con­
struction and pl ug sea ling.
Checkin g and fillin g 225
When installing the battery, make su re the ig ­
nition and a ll electrical consume rs a re turned
off.
Q) Note
M ake sure the ven tilat ion hose on the side
of the batte ry is connecte d, otherwise
fumes o r batte ry acid can leak out .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the p rob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommen d your author­
i zed A udi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in comp liance with a ll environmental
r egula tions . Dispos ing of vehicle batter ies
i mprope rly is v ery dange rous to th e envi­
r o nmen t.
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
Fi g. 18 8 Eng in e co mpartm en t: Cove r o n th e w ind­
s h iel d a nd headlig ht• was her fluid conta in er
T he was her fluid conta iner is mar ked w ith the
symbol
O on its cap ¢ fig . 188, ¢page 214,
fig . 182.
.. Before yo u check any thing in t he engine
compa rtment,
alwa ys re ad and heed all
WARNINGS ¢ & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 212 .
.. Lift the fi ller cap tongue to add washer flu ­
id. You can f ill the container to t he top.
.. Press the cap back o nto the fi lle r neck after
filling the co nta iner .
You can find the reservo ir
capacity in the table
in ¢
page 281. 111>
•
•

226 Checking and filling
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner
solut ion (with frost protection in the winter) .
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shie ld washer reservoir.

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle. Tires are, how­
ever, one of the most important
parts of a vehicle, particularly
considering the comparatively
small patch of rubber on each
tire that assures that all-impor­
tant contact between you, your
vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire
pressure, making sure that your
vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely handle, avoiding
damage from road hazards and
regularly inspecting tires for
damage including cuts, slashes
irregular wear and overall con­
dition are the most important
things that you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure includ­
ing tread separation and blow-
~ outs.
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Tires and wheels 22 7
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb
or similar obstacle , drive very
slowly and as close as possible
at a right angle to the curb.
Always keep chemicals includ­ ing grease, oil, gasoline and
brake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the t ires regularly for
damage (cuts, cracks or blis­
ters, etc.). Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove
them to indicate the direction
of rotation. This ensures you to be able to mount them correct­
ly when you reinstall them.
When removed, the wheels or
tires should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark place.
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on
rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims.
New tires
New tires have to be broken in
¢ _&..
The tread depth of new tires
may vary , according to the type .,.
•
•
'

228 Tires an d whee ls
and make of tire and the tread
pattern.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is of­
ten not readily visible. If you
notice unusua l vibration or the
vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate that one of the
t ires has been damaged . The
tires must be checked immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire can be
identified by arrows on the
sidewall, that point in the direc­
tion the tire is designed to ro­
tate. You must follow the speci­
fied direction of rotation. This is
necessary so that these tires
can develop their optimum
characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydro­
planing resistance. For more in­
formation
c:> page 267 .
&_ WAR NIN G
New tires or tires that are
old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control
and braking ability. -
New tires tend to be slip­
pery and must also be bro­
ken-in. To reduce the risk of losing control, a collision
and serious personal inju­
ries, drive with special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
-Driving with worn or dam ­
aged tires can lead to loss of
control, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes
and serious personal inju ­
ries. Have worn or damaged
tires replaced immediately.
- Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at low speed.
-Never mount used tires on
your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehic le
control.
...