four wheel drive AUDI A4 AVANT 2008 Owners Manual

Driver inf ormation di spl ay
tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to
t rigger il lum ination of the TPMS low tire pressure te llta le .
• Each tire should be checked month ly when cold and inflated to
the infla tion pressure recommended by the vehic le manufacturer
on the vehicle placard , tire inflation pressure label, or in chapter
=> page 297 . (If your ve hicle has tires o f a different size than t he size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inf lation pressure label, you
should de termine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.) •
Applies to vehi cles : with tire p ress ure mo nit o ring system
TPMS malfunction indicator
Your vehic le has also been equipped with a TPMS ma lfunction indi ­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS ma lfunct ion indicator is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale . When the system detects a ma lfunction, t he tellta le wi ll
f lash for approximately one minute and then remain continuous ly
il lum inated. T his sequence wil l continue upo n subsequent veh icle
star ts up as long as the malfunction exists.
When the ma lfunc tion ind icator is ill uminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended .
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation o f rep lacement or a lternate tires or wheels on the
vehic le that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly . A lways
check t he TPMS malfunction tellta le after replac ing one or more
tires or whee ls on your v ehicle to ensur e that the replacement or
a lternate t ires and wheels al low the TP MS to continue to function
proper ly. •
Ap plies to ve hicles : w it h tir e pressu re m oni to ring sy ste m
Introduction
T he tire pressure monitoring system monitors air pressure
in all four road wheels while the vehicle is moving.
As soon as the tire pressure monito ring system se nses a significant
loss of air pressure in one or several tires, text messages and yel low
symbo ls appear in the instrument clus ter disp lay to a lert the driver.
The
(l) warning light in the instrument cluster comes on when the
t ire is significa ntly under inflated.
The warning light
(l) also lights up during a system failure .
When the whee l is turning, the system receives radio signals from
sensors located inside each tire.
A factory spare wheel is delivered with sensor . However, the spare
whee l is not checked by the ti re pressure monitoring sys tem. Such
monitoring can on ly occur after the spare wheel has been insta lled
and
initia lized => page 50.
Be aware that t ire pressure is a lso dependent o n the temperature of
the tire . For every 18 °F (1
O °C) increase in tire temperature, tire pres ­
su re increases by about 1.5 psi (0 .1 barl. The tire warms up wh ile the
vehic le is moving and t ire pressure rises. So you should adjust tire
pressure only when they are
cold, when tire temperature is roughly
the same as ambient air temperature .
I n order to keep the tire pressure moni toring system prope rly ca li­
brated, tire pressure on all four tires shou ld be checked at regular
intervals, adjusted if necessary and saved in the proper sett ing
(reco mmended
pressure) => page 48.
The tire pressure is shown on the tire pressure label. On USA vehi ­
cles, the tire pressure label is located on the dr iver's side B -pillar. On
Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l is located either on the
driver's side B -p illar o r inside the fue l fi ller flap. The tire pressure
label l ists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and the tires that were on
your vehicle at the t ime it was manu factured . For recommended tire
~

____________________________________________ ln_t_ e_ l_ li _,..g "- e_ n
_ t_t_e _c_ h_ n_o _l_o _....g ,_,y'-----'""
• when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface (to allow the
wheels to dig in to reach firm ground)
• when trying to "rock" the vehicle free when it has become stuck .
The system should be reactivated once you are no longer in such
situations.
Both, the ABS and EDL systems are still functioning even if the ESP
is switched off.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four wheels must be fitted
with identical tires Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can
cause the system to reduce engine power when this is not desired.
See
also::::;, page 305, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending largely on operating conditions and driving
habits::::;, &.
On vehicles which are driven mostly in stop -and -go city traffic or
which are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your
authorized Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Mainte­
nance
& Warranty booklet.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
On steep slopes, you should use the braking effect of the engine
.
This way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously.
Pump the brakes at intervals.
Moisture or road salt
Under certain conditions, for example, when driving through water
or very heavy rain, or even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in freezing conditions ice)
on the brake pads. A few cautious brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
driven on a salt -covered road and the brakes are not used. Likewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads
with a few cautious applications of the
brake::::;, &.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up on the brake pads and
corrosion to form on the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corrosion has formed on
the discs , it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed ::::;,& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake pedal travel, then
one of the two brake circuits may have
failed::::;, &.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
too low. The brake fluid level is monitored electronically.
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit. Other
road users must not be put at risk - you may cause an accident!
.,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

llffll.___l_n _t _e _ll _ig =- e_n _ t_ te_ c_h _n_ o_ lo-'g'"'-=- y ___________________________________________ _
• Be aware of the different than usua l steering response and
adjus t you r steer ing forc e acc ordin gly.
• Have the prob lem checked and set right by an Audi dea ler as
s o on as poss ible.
[ i] Tips
• When t he engi ne is running, never ho ld t he steer ing w heel
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15
seco nds. Th e powe r steering p ump w ill ove rhea t th e hydra ulic flu id
if you keep holding the steer ing whee l turned a ll the way . T his is
l ike ly to d amage t he powe r stee ring sys tem.
• I f the power steering system should fail entirely, or if the engine
i s not r unning ( for e xa mpl e, while being t owed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle . However,
considerably more effort wil l be
r e q uired to do s o.
• I f the power steering system should have a lea k, or is not func ­
t ioning pr operly, co nt ac t yo ur auth orize d Audi deale r immedia tely.
• T he power steering system requires a specia lly formu lated
h ydraulic fluid. T he power s teeri ng reserv oir is th e one loca ted m ost
forward on the left side of the engine
compartment=> page 265,
"Engine co mpartme nt". The c orrect f luid level in the reservoir is
important for proper functioning of the power steering .•
Ap plies to veh icl es : w ith A ll Whee l Dr ive
Driving with your quattro®
Wit h All Whe el Dr ive, all fo ur w heel s are d riven .
Gen eral information
With All W heel Dr ive, powe r is d istributed to all four w hee ls . T hi s
happens automatica lly depending on your dr iving style and the
r oa d c ondit ions at th e time. See
also => page 237, "Elec tronic diff er­
entia l lock (E DU" .
Winter tires
When driv ing in th e win te r, yo ur ve hicle with All Wheel Drive ha s an
advantage, even with regular t ires. In winter road conditions it may
b e advi sable to m ount win ter tires ( or all -s easo n tires) for impr oved
driveabi lit y and braking : th ese tires mus t be moun ted on
all four
wheels .
See also => page 31 0, "Winter tires".
Snow chains
Whe re snow cha ins a re ma ndato ry on certai n roa ds, th is norma lly
a lso app lies to veh ic les with a ll-wheel
dr ive=> page 311, "Snow
chain s".
Replacing wheels /tires
Ve hicles wit h All Wheel D rive mu st always have t ires of the sa me
size . A lso avo id tires with different tread depths . For details see
page
=> page 305 .
Off-Road dri ving?
Yo ur Au di d oes not have e nough gr ound clea ra nce to be use d as an
off -road vehic le . It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
u neven te rr ain as much as poss ible . Also refe r
to => page 2 45.
& WARNING
Alway s adjust your driving to road and traffic condition s. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by the all -wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
• Although the quattro ®all-wheel drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at e xcessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces , be careful not to drive too fast be cause
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (hydro ­
planing ). If this should occur , you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front -wheel drive
vehicle . Always drive at speeds which are adjusted to the road
conditions - risk of crash! •

___ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
make, there w ill be six to eight of t hem evenly p laced around the
tir e. M arks o n the tire s idewall ( for example "TWI " or oth er sy mb ols)
indicate th e positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
b e re placed . Di fferen t fig ure s m ay apply i n other
c ountr ies=> & .
Tire pressure
Incorr ect tir e p ress ure c auses prematu re wear a nd can ca use
sudden tir e blow -out . For th is r eason, tir e pressur e must b e check ed
at leas t once a month
=> pa ge 299 .
Dri ving style
Drivi ng fa st aro und curv es, heavy acce le ra ti on and ha rd bra kin g
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
r ecom mend t hat the front a nd rea r tires ar e rotate d accord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation interva ls. Please
r e m emb er t he fo llo wi ng :
• Ti re rotation interva ls m ay d iffer from th e vehic le servic e inter ­
vals outl ined in y our M aintenance and Warran ty Boo kle t.
• T he longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
mor e it wea rs a t ce rtain points ; the re fo re, we rec omm end that yo u
fo llow t he ti re manufactu rer's su ggested tir e rotat ion int ervals .
• Vehi cle s with front -wh eel d rive e xper ience mo re trea d wea r on
the front wheels compared to al l-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Ple as e ro tat e ti res as
sh ow n=> page 303, fig. 220.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
=> pag e 32 4.
Wheel balancing
T he wheels on n ew vehic les are bala nced. However, various situa ­
tions during eve ryday driving can cause them to become unba l­
ance d, res ulting i n vi brat ions you ca n us ual ly f eel thro ugh t he
steering whee l. U
nba lanc ed wh eels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
s tee ring, s uspen sio n an d tir es. A w heel m ust also be reba la nced
when a new tire is install ed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
t he sa fety o f the vehicl e. If ti res sh ow ex cessiv e w ear, h av e the
whee l al ignm ent check ed by an autho riz ed Aud i d eal er or qualifi ed
w ork shop.
All Wheel Drive
Ve hicl es wi th qu attr o® must alw ays h ave t ires of t he sa me siz e,
construction and tread type . For deta ils
see=> page 242 .
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control , a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators .
• Especially in wet and slick driving situations , a preferably large
profile depth of the tires is necessary , and an approximately
similar profile depth of the front and rear axle tires.
• The diminished driving safety , caused by too small of a tire
profile, is negatively perceivable especially in handling , in danger
of hydroplaning when driving through deep puddles and ponds,
when driving around curves , and in braking behavior.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chem icals that can cause tire damage , such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires .
• 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
lower speeds .
~

________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l!III
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3
l
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An electronic speed
limiter => page 28will normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U .S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac­
ture . For example, the numbers 2205 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2005. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufacturers also must indi­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 309 . Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is
the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with tire
pressure monitoring system*
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the air pressure inside the tire, and then trans­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system*. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehicle, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors. The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system* on your vehicle.
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring
system * will not work properly. In this case, the tire pressure moni­
toring system* would not be able to monitor the tire pressure or
warn you if it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the valve stem caps securely mounted. We
recommend using factory installed valve stem caps . Ask your autho­
rized Audi dealer to replace lost valve stem caps.
The installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
the tire sidewall may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni­
toring system, and is not recommended (cord material information
in molded on the tire sidewall).
Always check your tire pressure monitoring system* indicator after
replacing one or more tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure
monitoring system * indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
working properly. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with
your tire pressure monitoring system*, or some component of the
tire pressure monitoring system* may be damaged.
....
Vehicle care

___ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always u se tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica ­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• 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 emergen cy and then with special care and at
lower speed s.
• Never mount used tires on your vehi cle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires reduces vehi cle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare t ire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for example with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the ma ximum speed for wh ich the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tire s cause heat build -up , sudden tire failure ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheel s
from other vehicles - in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
& WARNING (continued )
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision .
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
s ystem that indicate s a loss of tire pressure . Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or ac cidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equ ipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For tec hnical r eas ons, it is no t gene rally possible to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles . ihis can hold true for wheels of the
same ve hicle type.
• I f the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on y our ve hicle (f or exampl e wi nter t ires or wide p ro fi le tir es), then
use the spa re tire fo r a short per iod of time on ly and d rive with extra
c a re . Rep lace the flat t ire wi th the ti re m atc h ing t he oth ers o n you r
vehic le as soon as possib le .
• If yo u should put diff eren t w heels a nd tires on yo ur vehi cle (e. g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certa in that the wheels and
t ires a re co mpatibl e w ith the tire press ur e m onit orin g sys te m.
Otherwise the system will regist er a ma lfunction and a fau lt
mes sage wil l be d isp layed . Fo r mo re info rmation, contact yo ur Audi
dea ler .
0 Note
• When i nsta lling new ti res, be care fu l n ot to damage t he va lves o r
tire press ure mon itoring system* sensors . .,_

___ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_
s _________________________________________________ _
Winter tires
Winter tires can impr ove vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
I n some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread . These tires
should only be used in pairs and be instal led on a ll four wheels .
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same s ize and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle .
If your vehic le is equipped with al l-wheel drive*, this will improve
traction during winter driving, even with the standard tires.
H owever, we strongly recommend that you a lways equ ip al l four
whee ls on your vehic le with correct ly fitted winter tires or all-season
t ires, when winter road conditions are expec ted. This also improves
t he vehic le's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.
W inter tires (snow t ires) must a lways be fi tted on a ll four wheels .
If your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system* ,
compatible tire pressu re monitoring sensors must be instal led on
a ll f our winter t ires for the system to function
properly=> page 307.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use only rad ial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effect iveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 4 mm (0.157 inch).
Only drive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
t emperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel=> page 305 .
Please a lways remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than the tires original ly instal led on your vehicle at the ti me
it was manufactured . Please see
=> page 306 , "Speed rating (letter code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
maximum speed at which t he tires can be d riven .
The speed rating letter
code(=> page 2961 i s on the side wa ll of the
tire => page 305.
& WARNING
Winter tire s have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehi cle's ma ximum speed . Al wa ys know the ma ximum speed
before driving off . Never drive fa ster th an the speed permitted for
y our s pecifi c w inter tire s. Thi s will cau se damage to the tire s
lead ing to an a ccident and seriou s per sonal injury to you and your
p ass engers.
& WARNING
Driving fa ster th an the m aximum speed for whi ch the winte r tire s
on your vehi cle were de signed c an cause tir e failure in cluding a
blowout and sudden deflat ion , lo ss of contr ol, c rashe s and seriou s
per sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires repl aced immedi­
ately .
• Winter tires have ma ximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s m axi mum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
ti re s in sta lled on you r vehi cle are r ated .
& WARNING
Always adju st your driving to the ro ad and traff ic condit ions .
Never let the good acceleration of th e win ter tire s and all-wheel
dr ive tempt you into taking extra ri sks. Al ways rem ember :
• When braking, an all -wheel driv e vehicle handle s in th e same
w ay as a front dr ive veh icle .
• Drive ca refully and redu ce your speed on i cy and slippery r oads,
e ven w inter tires cannot h elp under bl ack ice condit ions .
...,