tow AUDI A4 AVANT 2008 Owner's Guide

Traile r to win g -______________ _,..,_l'flllll
[ i] Tip s
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in period of your vehicle.
• If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent mainte ­
nance due to the extra load
=> page 346 . •
Parking on a slope
Do not park with a trailer on a slope. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
Wh en p arkin g:
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the veh ic le and
the trailer wheels .
- Wit h chocks in p lace, s lowly release t he brakes until
wheel blocks absorb t he load.
- T urn t he wheels towards the curb .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Place an automatic transmission in
P , respect ively a
manual transmission in first or reverse gear.
Wh en re starting aft er p arking:
- Start the e ngine .
- Shift transmission into gear.
- Re lease the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
from the wheel blocks.
- Stop and have someone retrieve the whee l blocks.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
[ i
] Tip s
If you move the selector lever of the automatic transmission to P
before applying the parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the
P
position .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_____________________________________________ C_ l_ e _a_ n_ in~ g_a
_ n_d_ p_ r_ o_ t
_ e_ c_t _io _ n __ ffllll
-Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of cloth or
kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from windows and mirrors is to use a
brush.
Use a non -abrasive
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray deicer -
to remove
ice from windows and mirrors.
Residues of oil, grease or silicon e can be removed with
glass
cleaner
or silicone remover. However, remains of wax do require the
use of a specially formulated solvent. Please contact your Audi
dealer for advice on safe products for wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regular intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois that you use to dry
painted surfaces. Wax residue on the chamois can impair vision
through the windows .
& WARNING
• The windshield must not be treated with water-repellent mate­
rials. They can increase glare under poor visibility conditions such
as wetness, darkness, or when the sun is low on the horizon. In
addition, they can cause the windshield wipers to chatter.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=> page 254.
0 Note
• Never use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from
windows and mirrors. This could cause the glass to crack!
• To prevent damage to the wires of the rear defogger, do not place
any adhesive stickers on the inside of the rear window over the
wires.
• To help prevent dirt from scratching the window, always scrape
in a forward direction -pushing the scraper away from you -never
back and forth .•
Weatherstrips
Complete car care includes the weatherstrips as well.
-Apply a suitable rubber conditioner to the weatherstrips
from time to time.
To be able seal properly, the weatherstrips around the hood, doors,
rear lid, etc . must remain pliable. Spray the weatherstrips with sili­
cone or coat them with talcum powder or glycerine to retain the
flexibility of the rubber and to protect them against freezing in the
winter.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=> page 254.
[ i ] Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the windshield to avoid wiper smear in
rain. •
Applies to veh ic les : with steel whee ls (e .g . if ref itted w ith wint er t ires )
Steel wheels
The wheels also have to be cleaned.
-Always include the hub caps and wheel rims when
washing your vehicle to remove road dirt, salt sprays and
brake dust.
If necessary, use a commercial wheel cleaner to remove accumu ­
lated brake dust.
The wheel rims are easier to keep clean if they are regularly coated
with liquid wax .
.,_
Vehicle care

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:..: o:::..:. te:::..::: c:..::t ..:..:io :::.:..: n'.,__ffllll
soiling, etc.I, you will need to be somewhat careful with these
leathers, and a certain type of care is required. For example, dark
clothing materials can discolor leather seats (especially if such
clothing is damp and was not dyed correctly). Dust and dirt particles
in pores, folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can
damage the leather surface as well as weaken seams.
The leather shou ld be c leaned regularly as needed. After having
been used for a relatively long time, your leather seats will acquire
a rich aged finish . This is a characteristic of natural leather and a
sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural product over the life of
your vehic le , you should fo llow the recommendations below:
0 Note
• To keep your leather from bleaching out, do not allow it to be
exposed to bright sunlight for long periods of time. If you have to
leave the vehicle parked outside for long periods, cover the leather
to protect it from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Sharp objects on c lothing, such as zippers, rivets or sharp pieces
on belts can leave permanent scratches or scrape marks on the
surface of the leather.
[ i ] Tips
• After each time you clean the leather and at regu lar intervals, use
a leather preservative creme that contains UV -blockers and that
works into the leather. This creme wil l nourish and moisturize the
leather, helping it to breathe and stay supple . It also helps to build
up a protective coating on the surface .
• Clean the leather every 2 -3 months, and clean any areas that get
soiled.
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc . as soon as possible.
• Preserve the color of the leather as needed by using a special
colored leather care creme to touch up areas of uneven color .•
• I I • • I
Ap plies to veh ic les : wi th n atural leat her
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
-Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened cotton or
woolen cloth.
More stubborn dirt
-More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu­
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons mild
liquid soap).
-Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry cloth .
Cleaning spots
-Remove fresh water-based spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, blood) with an absorbent cloth or paper towel.
-Remove fresh grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) with an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface of the
leather.
-Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if oil/grease spots
have dried on.
-Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen, felt
marker, fingernail polish, water-based paint, shoe polish,
etc.) with a spot remover specifically formulated for
leather. _.,
Vehicle care

________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
& W ARNING (continued )
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pre ssure s for all
tire s on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a st icker on the driver 's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
• Only when all tire s on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring system * can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system*.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres ­
sure before driving off.
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Ex cessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build -up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control .
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to che ck the tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
valves. To preve nt th is, a lways make s ure th at f acto ry installed va lve
stem caps on al l whee ls are securely mounted on the va lve .
~ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the fuel consumpt io n. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight t hat any vehic le and
any tire can carry . A ve hicle that i s ove rloa ded will not handle well
and is more d iff icu lt to stop . Overload ing can not only lead to loss
o f vehi cle control, but can also damag e impor tan t p arts o f the
vehic le and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout and
sudde n defla tion that ca n cause the veh ic le to c ra sh .
Your sa fety a nd t hat o f your passe ngers a lso depe nds o n maki ng
s u re that load li mits are not exceeded. Vehic le load incl udes every ­
b ody and everythi ng i n and on t he vehicle . T he se l oa d limi ts are
technical ly referred to as the ve hic le's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVW R"l.
T he "GVWR" includes the wei ght of the basic vehic le, all factory
in sta lled acces so ries, a full t an k of f uel, o il, c oolant a nd oth e r flu ids
p lus max imum load . T he maximum load inc ludes th e number o f
p asse ngers tha t th e ve hicle i s intended t o carry ("seat ing ca paci ty")
with an assu med weight o f 150 l bs (68 kg) fo r each passe nger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
th e v ehic le. I f you tow a trai ler, the we ig ht o f the tra iler hitch a nd th e
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be inc luded as part of the
ve hicle lo ad .
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is t he maximum load that
ca n b e app lie d at eac h of th e veh icle's two axle s.
T he G ross Ve hicle We ight Rati ng a nd th e G ross A xle Wei ght R ati ng
are listed on the safety comp liance stic ker label located either on
t he driver 's si de B-pi lla r o r on the in sid e of t he fue l fille r fl ap. You r
Aud i has 5 seating posit ions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
sea ting ca paci ty of 5. Each sea ting p osit ion has a safe ty b elt
=> page 176, "Saf ety be lts" .
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gro ss Vehicle
W eight Rat ing m eans that th e total weight o f whatever is b ein g
carried in the vehic le (including the weight of a traile r hitc h and the
ton gue we ight of the loaded tr aile r) is lim it e d. Th e m or e passe ng ers
~
Vehicle care

5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall(::::>
page 305,
fig. 221) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire.•
Tires and wheels 1111
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
•,
.._ ____________ __,
Tread Wear Indicator {TWI)
Fig. 219 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWO
Fig . 220 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The origina l tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators"=> fig . 219 running across the tread . Depending on the .,.
Vehic le care irechnical data

lllffll....__W_ h_ a_ t_d_ o_ l _d _o_ n_ o_ vv_ ? ______________________________________________ _
What do I do now?
Jack, tools and spare wheel
Jack and tools
The tools and jack are stored underneath the floor panel
in the luggage compartment.
F ig. 222 Tool case and
ve hicle jack
Fi g. 223 O pen too l
case
The tool case @ and the vehicle jack@ are stored under­
neath the floor panel in the luggage compartment
=> fig. 222.
- For access, raise t he floor panel at the plastic ha ndle @ .
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
- Take out tool case and/or jack.
- Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
The onboard tool kit inc ludes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers*
• Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Wheel bo lt wrench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdriver with reversible blade
• Towing eye
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound back down as far as it
will go.
Afte r use, th e ja c k a nd tools m us t b e put bac k in pl ace u nderneath
th e floor p an el in th e lu g gage c omp artment .
Note: some of the on -board items listed above are provided on
certain models only or are optional extras.
& WARNING
Improper us e of th e vehi cle ja ck ca n ca use se rious pe rso nal inju ­
r ies.

___ w_ h_ a_t _ d_ o_ l_d _ o_ n_ o_w _ ? ______________________________________________ _
Storing the replaced wheel
- Place the replaced wheel inside the spare wheel well in
the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw clockwise to secure
the wheel in place.
- Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
& WARNING
Loose items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
personal injury during hard braking or in an accident.
• Never store the spare wheel or jack and tools
in the passenger
compartment.
• Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the spare wheel
in the luggage compartment.
• Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the spare wheel
securely.
[ i] Tips
Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire periodically to keep the
tire ready for use. •
Wheel change
Before changing a wheel
Follow these points for your own and your passenger's
safety when replacing a wheel.
After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before
you
stop ~& .
-All passengers should leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the
guardrail) ~& .
-Apply the parking brake firmly ~& .
-Move selector lever to position P on an automatic trans-
mission; put manual transmission in
first gear~& .
-If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Take the
tool case and the spare tire ~ page 316 out of
the luggage compartment.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn off
the engine, turn the emergency flasher on and use other warning
devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait
in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the roadway and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack, always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed . When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, placing the Automatic Trans-
~

Fuses and bulbs -
----------------
0 Note No. Equipment Amps
• On no account should fuses be repaired (e.g. patched up with tin 13 Steering column module 10
foil or wire) as this may cause serious damage elsewhere in the elec -14 Brake lights 10
trical circuit or cause fire.
15 Instrument cluster, Navigation system 10
• If a fuse blows repeatedly, do not keep replacing it. Instead, have
the cause for the repeated short circuit or overload tracked and Garage door opener
5
fixed.
•
Level, tire pressure control, park assist,
17 light/rain sensor 10
Fuse list Automatic headlight range control, left 5
Fuses which can be replaced. 19 Fog lights, rear fog light 15
20
Not used
No. Equipment Amps
21 Not used
1 Air conditioner 10 Front doors 15
2
Footwell illumination 5 23 Rear doors 15
3 Heated washer jets 5 Central convenience electrical system 20
4 Radiator fan 5 25 Heater blower 30
5
Telephone, oil level sensor, multifunction 10 26 Rear window defogger 30
switch, rear heated Seat, shift gate
27 Socket for trailer towing (controller) 30
6
Air conditioner (air quality sensor), air pressure 5 28 Fuel pump 20 sensor
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP), brake
29 Not used
7 light switch, clutch pedal switch, steering angle 10 Power sunroof 20
sensor Automatic transmission, mirror dimming, diag-
31 15 8 Telephone 5 nosis socket
9 Brake booster (vacuum pump) 15 Towing assembly 15
10
Automatic headlight beam adjustment, auto -5 33 Cigarette
lighter 20
matic headlight range control, right
Electrical socket 20
11
Airbag 5 35 Luggage compartment socket 20
12
Diagnosis socket 10 Windshield wiper system 30
Do -it -yourself service

lllft!l.,___E
_ m_ e_r-=g =-e_ n_c ..:y:- s_ i_ t _u _a_ t_ i_ o _n_ s _______________________________________________ _
Emergency situations
General
This section i s intended for trained emergency crews and working
personnel who have the necessary tools and equipment to perform
these operations.
•
Starting by pushing or towing
0 Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission cannot be started by
pushing or towing . •
Starting with jumper cables
If n ece ssary, the eng in e can b e star ted by conne cting it to
the battery of another veh ic le .
If th e engin e shou ld fai l to start because of a discharged or weak
b at te ry, the batt ery can be co nnected t o the ba ttery of
another
ve hic le, us ing a pair of jumper cables to start the engine.
Jumper cables
Use
only jumper cables of sufficient ly large cross se ction to safe ly
c a rry the st ar ter curr ent. Refer to th e m anuf actu rer's specific ations.
Us e on ly j um per ca bles with
isolated term ina l clam ps and prop erly
marked for distinction:
plus (+l cable in most c ases c olored red
minus (- l cable in most cases co lored black .
& WARNING
Batteries contain electricity , acid, and gas . Any of these can cause
very serious or fatal injury. Follow the instructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle 's battery.
• Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning over the battery
whenever possible .
• A discharged battery can already freeze at temperatures just
below 32 °F (0 °Cl. Before connecting a jumper cable, the frozen
battery must be thawed completely , otherwise it could explode.
• Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or skin . Flush any
contacted area with water immediately .
• Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause
an explosion.
• Vehicle batteries generate e xplosive gases . Keep sparks, flame
and lighted cigarettes away from batteries.
• Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low ac id level in the
battery.
• The voltage of the booster battery must also have a 12-Volt
rating . The capacity (Ahl of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery . Use of batteries of
different voltage or substantially different
" Ah " rating may cause
an e xplosion and personal injury .
• Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trapped in the ice may cause
an explosion .
• Never charge or use a battery that has been frozen . The battery
case may have be weakened.
• Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
capacity (Ah ) rating may cause an explosion and injury . The
capacity (Ah l of the booster battery should not be lower than that
of the discharged battery . ..,_

-Emergency situations PW--------=----=---------------
4. Connect clamp on opposite end of negative cable to the
negative(-) terminal© of the discharged vehicle battery
@.
- Check that all screw plugs on the battery cells are
screwed in firmly. If not, tighten plugs prior to
connecting clamp on negative battery terminal.
Starting the engine
-Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery.
Run the engine at a moderate speed.
- Start engine with discharged vehicle battery in the usual
manner .
- If the engine fails to start: do not keep the starter
cranking for longer than 10 seconds. Wait for about 30
seconds and then try again.
- With engine running, remove jumper cables from both
vehicles in exact
reverse order.
The battery is vented to the outside to prevent gases from entering
the vehicle interior.
Make sure that the jumper clamps are well connected with their
metal parts in full contact with the battery terminals .
& WARNING
To avoid serious personal injury and damage to the vehicle, heed
all warnings and instructions of the jumper cable manufacturer. If
in doubt, call for road service.
• Jumper cables must be long enough so that the vehicles do not
touch.
• When connecting jumper cables, make sure that they cannot
get caught in any moving parts in the engine compartment.
& WARNING (continued)
• Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all
WARNINGS:::::, page 265, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Improperly connected jumper cables can damage or destroy the
generator .
• Always connect POSITIVE (+l to POSITIVE(+), and NEGATIVE (-l to
NEGATIVE (- l terminal.
• Check that all screw plugs on the battery cells are screwed in
firmly. If not, tighten plugs prior to connecting clamp on negative
battery terminal.
• Please note that the procedure for connecting a jumper cable as
described above applies specifically to the case of your vehicle
being jump started. When you are giving a jump start to another
vehicle, do not connect the minus 1-1 cable to the minus (-1 terminal
on the discharged battery @::::, page 331, fig. 234. Instead, securely
connect the minus (-l cable to either a massive metal component
that is firmly bolted to the engine block or to the engine block itself .
If the battery that is being charged does not vent to the outside,
escaping battery gas could ignite and explode! •
Emergency towing with commercial
tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
The following information is to be used by commercial tow truck
operators who know how to operate their equipment safely.
• Never tow your Audi, towing will cause damage to the engine
and transmission. .,_