service indicator AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 2009 Owners Manual

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 2 Overview of the instrument cluster
G) Coolant temperatu re gauge .. ..... ... ... .... ... . . 13 - Clock and date display .. .... ........ .... ... .. .
® Tachometer with time and date display . ....... ... . 13, 14 -Instrument cluster illumination ... .... .... ... .. .
® Warning/indicator l ights .. ... ....... ... ........ . 18 0 Driver information system ...... .... ....... .... . .
© Spe edometer with odometer . .... ...... ..... .. . . 15 © CHECK system button .......... ........... ..... .
© Fuel gauge ...... .... ....... ........ ........ .. . 16 © Reset but ton for Service indicator ................ .
© Buttons to set the: @ Reset button for trip odome ter .................. .
14
15
24
16
17
18 ~

The information disappears after approximately 5 seconds.
Setting the speed warning
By pressing the [ CHECK I button you can set speed warning 1
=> page 36 while the vehicle i s moving .
Speed warning 2* => page 36 can only be set with the ignition
switched off. •
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when your next
service is due.
Display remaining distan ce
Fig. 7 Serv ice interval
display in the in stru ­
men t cluster
With the ignition on, briefly push button G) to display the distance
remaining (miles/kilometers) until the next service is due . You can
recall the service countdown with the engine in id le or while driving
at a slow speed up to
3 mph (5 km/h). The remaining distance will
be updated every
300 miles (500 km) :
On a new vehicle, or immediately after a service has been
performed, the following message will be displayed:
Service in ···· mi (km) ··· days
For the the first 300 miles (500 km) of driving after a service , the
display will keep showing dashes. This is
NOT a malfunction. Rather,
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
the system needs the mileage to (re-Jodjust to your driving style . Only
then can it start generating and updating figures for the distance and
days until the next scheduled service.
Service reminder
As soon as less than 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) of driving are left
before the next due service, the following message will be displayed
when you switch on the ignition :
Service in 1,200 mi (2,000 km)··· days
After about five seconds the display switches back. Each time you
switch on the ignition, the distance will be updated until the next
service date is reached.
Service due
If service is due immediately, Service! will appear in the display
immediately after switching on the ignition . The display switches
back after about five seconds.
Resetting the display
Your authorized Audi dealer will reset the display after performing
the scheduled service. If the service is not performed by an autho ­
rized Audi dealer, the display must then be reset as follows:
• Switch off the ignition.
• Press and ho ld the Service button
G)=> fig. 7, then switch on the
ignition . One of the fol lowing messages appears in the display:
Service in ···· miles or Service!.
• Press the reset button @ until either of the the following
messages appears in the display:
Service in ····miles··· days or
Service!
After about five seconds the display switches back.
[ i ] Tips
• Do not reset the display between service intervals. Doing so will
resu lt in an incorrect display.
~
~ehicle care irechnical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
• The service display information will remain intact even if the
battery is disconnected .
• If a priority 1 malfunction is detected (red symbol), you cannot
display the distance remaining. •
Reset button
The "0.0" button=> page 17, fig. 7 @ performs the following func­
tions :
Resetting the trip odometer
The upper odometer (trip odometer) => page 15 can be reset back to
zero by pressing the reset button.
Resetting the service interval
The service interva l display=> page 17 can be reset by pressing the
reset button (first select the "reset" mode in the service indicator
display). •
Warning /indicator lights
Overview
The warning/indicator lights indicate different functions
or a possible malfunction.
Fig. 8 Instrument clu ste r: complete set of warning /indi cator symbols (USA ­
models)
Your vehicle is equipped with several important warning and indi ­
cator lights to help you monitor the continued reliable operation of
your vehic le~
& -
AIR
BAG
USA models :
Malfunction Indicator lamp (MIU
Canada models:
Malfunction lndictor Lamp (MIU
Airbag sys tem
~ page 19
~ page 19
~ page20

Driver inf orma tion dis pl ay
Driver information display
Introduction
General notes
The driver information display inside the instrument
cluster provides you , the driver, with much useful infor­
mation.
Fi g. 9 Inst rum en t
c luster : ce nter dis play
The driver information system updates important information in the
c e nter display in clear view of the driver . In an easy to und erstand
format, the display tells you how your vehicle is functioning
a t the
c u rre nt mo ment .
For example, the display can tell you how many
mi les (kilometres) you can still dr ive unt il it is time to bring your
vehic le to your authorized Audi dealer for a scheduled Maintenance
Service . This feature helps preventing costly repairs . It is just one of
many different items of information available for recall . The display
also gives you a "status report" whenever the
so und and navi gati on
systems are being used . The operation of Audi Navigation System *
is described in a separate booklet.
The Driver Information System provides the following functions: Sound system display
Outside air temperature
Door open indicator
Selector
lever position Tiptronic®
Selector lever position multitronic™
Auto Check system Driver informat ion
Messages : power top operation
Par king brak e warning
Service interval display
Headlight/tail light malfunction
On -b oard computer
[ i ] Tip s
=> page 25
=> page25
=> page26
=> page 127
=> page 133
=> page 34
=> page 28
=> page29
=> page 64
=> page30
=> page 17
=> page 35
=> page 37
• If your vehicle has an automatic transmission , the various
display contents will appear only after you have moved the selector
lever into
R , D or S.
• In the event of a ma lfuction either a red or yellow icon appears
in the display. Red symbols indicate
Dan ger => page 30. Yellow
symbo ls indicate a
Warn ing => page 32 . •

Fuel filler cap not closed properly
M ....
~ :c IX) m
Fig. 14 Center disp lay:
fu el f iller ca p open
A message C LO SE FUEL TANK CAP! in the driver information display
wi ll come on if the fuel filler cap is not properly closed . If the
message comes on, please perform the following steps upon
reaching your next destination.
With the ignition turned off, open the fuel filler flap and remove the
fue l cap. Next, reinstall the fuel cap being sure to twist the fue l filler
cap clockwise until you hear a definite "click." Press the fuel filler
flap closed until it locks into place (and is flush with the car body).
After switching on the ignition, the message may remain lit even
though the fuel filler cap is properly c losed . This is norma l and there
is no reason to take your vehicle for service .
I f, however, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU~ comes on,
always drive to your nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop and have the vehicle checked .
For more information =>
page 246, "Refuelling".•
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driv er inf ormati on di spl ay
On-Board Diagnostic system (08D)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) ?-1' (USA
models)/ (Canada models)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (M IU in the instrument cluster
=>
page 18, fig. 8 is part of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD I I) system.
The warning/indicator light illuminates when the ignition is switched on and goes out after the engine starts and the idle has
stabi lized. This indicates that the MIL is working properly.
If the l ight doe s not go out after the engine is started, or illuminates
wh ile you are driv ing, a ma lfunc tion may ex ist in the engine system .
If the light starts flashing, the catalytic converter cou ld be damaged.
Continue driving
with r educ ed power (avo iding sustained high
speeds and/or rapid accelerations) and have the condition
corrected . Contact your authorized Audi dea ler.
I f the light illuminates, the electron ic speed limiter may also be
malfunctioning . For more information=>
page 28, "Electronic speed
limiter" .
An improperly clo sed fu el filler cap may also cau se the MIL l amp to
illuminate
=> page 246 . •

Driver information display
On-Board Diagnosti cs
Fig . 15 Location of
Data Link Connector
(DLC)
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the components of your emission
control system. Each controlled component in your engine system
has been assigned a code. In case of a malfunction, the component
will be identified and the fault stored as a code in the control module memory .
Th e MIL lamp may also illuminate if there is a leak in the on -board
fuel vapor recovery system. If the light illuminates after a refuelling,
pull off the road and stop the vehicle, then check that the fuel filler
cap is properly closed
=> page 246.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the stored data can only be
displayed using special diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool for
OBDl.
In order to connect the special diagnostic equipment, push the plug
into the Data Link Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the right of
the engine hood release lever=> fig. 15.
Your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service station can inter ­
pret the code and perform the necessary repair. •
Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with tires that are rated for a
maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the
maximum speed of your vehicle . To reduce the risk of sudden tire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operated at excessive
speeds, your vehicle also has an electronic speed limiter . The elec­
tronic speed limiter prevents your vehicle from going faster than the
tire speed rating. For more information=>
page 279, "New tires and
replacing tires and wheels".
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle roadspeed signals,
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Mill will illuminate. If this
occurs, contact the nearest authorized Audi dealer for assistance.
& WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and adjust your speed to
suit prevailing road, traffic and weather conditions. Never drive
your vehicle faster than the maximum speed rating of the tires installed. •
Auto-Check Control
Introduction
The Auto-Check control monitors the function of certain vehicle
features and components. It simply makes sure these features and
components are working properly. The Auto-Check control works as
long as the ignition is on, as well as whenever the vehicle is driven.
If a component is malfunctioning or if the need for an urgent repair
has been detected, this will appear in the instrument cluster display.
You will also hear an audible warning tone. The displays are color
coded in either red or yellow depending on their level of priority. .,_

Driver information display
Engine oil pressure malfunction 9=7-
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low-oil-pres­
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the engine.
If the ~ symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also
be displayed by pressing the [CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check oil level
Immediate actions
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
Turn off the engine.
- Check the engine oil level with the dipstick=> page 254.
Dipstick readings checks too low
-Top off oil to the proper level => page 255 .
- Make sure that the oil pressure warning symbol
~
appears no longer in the display before you start driving
again.
Dipstick reading checks OK
- If the oil pressure warning symbol~ starts flashing
again even though the engine oil level checks
OK on the
dipstick,
do not continue driving and do not let the
engine run in idle.
Instead, contact your authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
[ i ] Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol 'l::::r. is not an indicator for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in your
engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and
always before going on a long trip .
• The yellow oil level warning indication -requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pres­
sure warning
'l::::r. starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning . By then, your engine may already have suffered
serious damage. •
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Yellow symbols mean:
Low fuel level
Check engine oil level
i :c
"' "'
Engine oil sensor malfunction
Fig. 18 Display: low
fuel level warning
(priority 2)
=> page 33
~ page33
=> page 33

Airbag system -----------------=~-
& WARNING (continued)
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible, before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on. •
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very important
parts of the Advanced Airbag System in it. These parts include the
weight-sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and more. The func­
tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the elec­
tronic control unit when the ignition is on. The control unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on
when a malfunction in the system components is detected. The
function of the airbag indicator light is described in greater detail
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
below.
Because the front passenger seat contains important parts
of the Advanced Airbag System, you must take care to prevent it
from being damaged. Damage to the seat may prevent the
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following:
• Crash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehicle
acceleration/deceleration to provide information to the Advanced
Airbag System about the severity of the crash.
• An electronic control unit, with integrated crash sensors for front
and side impacts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
front airbags based on the information received from the crash sensors. The control unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
pretensioners should be activated.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the driver inside the
steering wheel hub.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside the instrument
panel for the front passenger .
• A weight-sensing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
passenger seat cushion that measures the total weight on the seat.
The information registered is sent continuously to the electronic
control unit to regulate deployment of the front Advanced Airbag on
the passenger side.
• An airbag monitoring system and indicator light in the instru ­
ment cluster ~
page 179.
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on in the
center of the instrument panel~
page 180, fig. 174 and tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
turned off .
• A sensor below the safety belt latch for the front seat passenger
to measure the tension on the safety belt. The tension on the safety
belt and the weight registered by the weight -sensing mat help the
control unit "decide" whether the front airbag for the front _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m ___ __
& WARNING (continued )
airbag dur ing braking or in a sudden maneuver . Objects ne ar the
airbags can become proje ctiles and cau se injury , particularly when
the seat is reclined .
• Never tilt the front passenger seat backrest forward when the
vehicle is moving . An inflating airbag will force the backrest back­
ward and can injure rear seat occupants.
_& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbags deploy can cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing
conditions.
• To reduce the risk of breathing problems, those with asthma or
other respiratory conditions should get fresh air right away by
getting out of the vehicle or opening windows or doors.
• If you are in a collis ion in which airbags deploy, wash your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating.
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes , or into any cuts or
scratches .
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them w ith
water. •
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light :~
Two sep arate in dica tors m onitor the fu ncti on of th e
Adv anced A irba g Sys tem: the airbag moni tor ing in dica to r
l ight and t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanc ed A ir b ag S yst em (includ ing the e lec tronic co ntro l unit,
sensor c ircuits and system wiring) is monitored continuously to
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation make sure that it is functioning properly whenever the ignition is on
.
Eac h tim e you tu rn on t he ignit io n, th e airbag monitoring ind ica tor
light
fl wi ll come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The system must be inspected when the indicator l ight ~:
• do es not com e on when the ig nit ion is sw itch ed on,
• does not go out a few seconds after you have switched on the
i gni tion , or
• comes on while driving.
I f an a irbag s ystem malfu ncti on is detec ted , the indi cator light will
first start flash ing to catch the driver's attention and then sta y on
co nti nuou sly to serve as a constant r eminder to h ave the sys tem
inspected immediately.
If a malf unctio n occurs that t urns the front airbag on the passenger
s id e off , the PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light w ill come on a nd s ta y on
whenever the ig nition is on.
_& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
s upplemental protect ion in a frontal crash .
• If the airbag indicator light comes on , it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System . It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_ n ...:::g:;..._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in ....;g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a timely manner. •
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cooling of internal
engine components , all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break -in period (see~
page 219) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the oil. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up , the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement of worn components
may become necessary .
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consumption can be established or specified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol in the instrument
cluster lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
possible
with the oil dipstick~ page 254. Top off the oil at your
earliest convenience~
page 255.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 250.
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i] Tips
• The oil pressure warning display 't!::r. is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amounts of oil, we recommend that you consult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed . Keep in mind
that the accurate measurement of oil consumption requires great
care and may take some time . Your Audi dealer has instructions
about how to measure oil consumption accurately. •
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 198 Illustration of
principle 1: Markers on
oil dipstick ..,_