brakes AUDI A4 SEDAN 2013 Owner's Manual

Tire pressure
When towing a trai le r, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (vis ible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Light s
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be su re tra iler sa fety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per ­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they w ill not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separatio n from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling o f vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer whe n your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes ea rly .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight di stribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avo ided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steer ing control.
Trailer towing 197
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keep ing the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -pa rticularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ilers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving downh ill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 10
must be observed carefully . If the need le
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light •
in the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov ­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in yo ur car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi.
-
•
•

198 Trailer towing
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when tow ing
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
different weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become completely familiar with the way
your veh icle-trailer combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your tra iler before chang­
in g lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler dur ing the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
q page 2 72.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­ lowing :
When parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.. Tur n the wheels towards the curb.
.. App ly the parking b rake.
.. Place an automatic transmission* in P, re­
spectively a manual transmission in first or reverse gear.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake .
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the se lector lever to D/S, respectively
a manual transmission in first gear.
.. Release the parking brake and slow ly pu ll
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
matic transmission* to P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
whee ls, you may have to use more force
lat er to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion.

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Audi or other commercially available cleaning
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caution labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefully.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignition
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
Cleaning and protection 199
-Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 187. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
veh icle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often th is is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental influences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus trial gr ime, tar, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects will be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
sive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 199 .
•
•

204 Cleaning and protec tio n
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
• Wash the whee ls with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
• For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
aci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner .
• Rub a coat of
liq uid wax onto the r ims every
t h ree month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy whee ls, some specia l care is neces­
sa ry. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
d ust is a lso corros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dust can cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims . Safe p roducts are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the rims longe r than specified on
the label. If not rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use ab rasive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency ¢
page 187. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 199.
-
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does no t need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera- ture is high, it can be removed with a p
lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulat ions . Follow all instruc ­
tions on the container .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 199.
, Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards should be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
'
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 199.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chrome polish or other ab rasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for stainless steel.

~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 171, ¢ page 217,
fig . 167.
T he brake fluid level must be be ­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake f luid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
l eft side ¢
page 217 .
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
l ow the "M IN" mark, the bra ke wa rning/ind i­
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on
¢ page 15. Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop and the cause co rrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the b rake wa rn ing/
i nd icator lig ht w ill illuminate . Co ntact an a u­
thor ized Audi dealer immediately.
@ Tips
The brake f luid rese rvoir is located unde r­
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enc ed technician .
Brake fluid ab sorbs moisture from the a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
hi gh, corrosion in the b rake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
b ra ke fluid w ill also decrease con siderab ly and
d ec rease brak ing per forman ce.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
every two year s. Always use new b ra ke fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
S tand ard "FMVSS 1 16 DOT 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoir can be difficult to
r eac h, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
have the brake fl uid changed by yo ur aut ho r­
iz ed Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correc t
Checking and fillin g 225
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know -how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
- Brake fl uid is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can res ult from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid th at mee ts SA E
spe cificat ion
J 17 03 and conforms to
Fe dera l Mo to r Ve hicl e Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur autho rized Au di
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The c orrect type of
brake f luid is also ind icated on t he
brake f luid reservoir .
- The bra ke fl uid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapor lock if
the b rake fluid is left i n the system too
long. This can se riously affect the effi­
c iency of the b rakes as well as your
safety , T his could result in an accide nt.
(!) Note
Brake fluid will damage the pai nt of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired an d th e nec essary exper tise, w e
r ecomme nd that yo u have th e brake flu id
c hanged by yo ur aut ho rize d Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal operating cond itions, the bat­
te ry in your Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance . With
high outside temperat ures or
lo ng da ily drives we recommend that you have
t h e e lectrolyte leve l che cked by an autho riz ed
A udi de aler or qu alified workshop. The elec­
tro lyte leve l should also be checked e ach time
the battery is charged
¢ page 2 28 . 1J1>
•
•

232 Tires and wheels
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressu re
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation p ressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overa ll diameter of an inf lated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tir e in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread . Recommended inflation pressure
see
~
page 231, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
o r "R F" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 242. You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble , is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the max imum perm issible road speeds
~ A in Winter tires on page 246.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.

236 Tires and wheels
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
location of the tire pressure label¢
fig. 174.
_& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death .
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
tro l.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causi ng loss of con­
tro l and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the we ight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­ dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
-
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the table
¢ page 234, Cold tire inflation pressure .This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "co ld ."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendations ¢
page 234. The
tires would then be underinflated and could
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended cold tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, original
equipmen t tires that were on your vehicle at
the time it was manufactured. For the loca­
tion of the labe l
¢page 234, fig. 174.
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime. They
can also lose some air if yo u drive over a pot­
hole or hit a curb while parking. It is usually
not possible to see whether the radial tires
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
T here fore, be sure to check ti re pressures at
least once a month and a lways before going
on a long trip . Make sur e to take the number
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjust ing tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See ¢
page 238, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflat ion pres­
sures. Check all of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire.
If the pressure in any tire
i s too h igh when the tire is "cold", let air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep check ing the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the
load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the cold .,..

238 Tires and wheels
-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 sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the
fuel consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any tire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control,
but can a lso damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle . These
load limits are techn ically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories , a full
tank of fuel , oi l, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the tota l weight of any luggage in the ve- hide.
If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar.Your Audi has 5 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 5. Each seating posi­
tion has a seat belt <=>
page 136, Safety belts .
The fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the to tal weight of wha tever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( including the weight of a
tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trailer) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
label <=>page234 , fig.174.
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your vehicle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle with in a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, incl uding a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
con trol and a crash .

244 Tires and wheels
-All four wheels must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire 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 nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires 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 un­
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing 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 monitor­ ing system* that indicates a loss of tire
pressure. Incorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or
tire specialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not
permitted.
(D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap.
The valves could get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c> page 241,
fig. 178 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. ..,_

278 Index
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Automatic transmission . . . . . . . . . . . 83, 89
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driving .. .. .... .. ... .... .. .. .. .. .. 84
Dynamic shift program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Emergency mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89, 95
Kick-down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Manual shift program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
multitronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Removal lock (ignition key) ..... .. .. .. 72
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
S tron ic .. .. ................ ... ... . 89
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
also refer to S tron ic transmission ..... 89
Automatic wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Auto Safety Hotline ................. 134
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. .. .. .... . 192
B
Battery ..... ................ .. 17,225
Battery location inside the luggage com-
partment ........ ....... .. .. .... .
226
Charging . .. ... .. ..... ... .... .. .. . 228
Important warnings when working on
the battery .... ... .... ..... .. .. .. .
226
Jump starting . ........... .. .. .. .. . 262
Low . .. .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 190
Replacing the battery . .. .. .. .. .. .. . 229
State of charge ............ ... .... . 190
Winter operation .......... ... .... . 225
Working on the battery ..... .... ... . 226
Before driving .. ........... .... .... . 126
Bio-ethanol (Fuel) ............ .. .. .. . 211
Blended gasoline ................... 210
Blower (automatic climate control) . . . . . . 70
Body cavity sealing ........... .. .. .. . 204
Booster seats ...... ....... .. .. .... . 173
Brake fluid
Changing the brake flu id . ........ .. .
225
Check ing the brake fluid level . .. .. ... 224
Reservoir ... ............ .. .. .. .. . 224
What is the correct brake fluid level? . . 224
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on? ........ ... .. ...
224
Brake system .... .. ............. .... 224
Anti- lock braking system ............. 19
Brake assist system ................ 184
Brake fluid .... .. ......... .... .... 224
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement ...... ................ .
225
Brake light defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Brake power assist unit .......... ... 187
Brakes .. .. .. .. . ............ .... .. 187
Ceramic brakes . .. ... ... ... .... .. .. 187
Electromechanical parking brake ...... 77
Warning/indicator lights .......... .. . 15
Worn brake pads symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Braking
Emergency braking funct ion ... .. .. .. .
79
braking guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Messages ..... .. .. ... ........... . 105
Settings .. ... ... .. .............. . 104
Break-in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Tires . .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 192
Bulbs .......... .. ............. .... 261
C
Californ ia Proposition 65 Warn ing . .... 216
Battery specific .. ... .......... .. .. 227
Capac1t1es .. ... ... .. .............. . 270
Car care ........ .. ............. .... 199
Interior . .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 205
Plastic and vinyl .. ... ...... .... .. .. 202
Care of exterior .... ................. 199
Cargo area
refer to Luggage compartment. . . 64, 132
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Center armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Central lock ing .. .. .......... ...... .. 32
Central lock ing switch .... ...... .. .. . 36
Convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Remote control key ............ .... . 35
Ceramic b rake ro tors
New brake pads .. ..... ........... .
18 7
Certification . ..... ................ . 275
Changing a flat t ire . ......... .... .... 252
Changing a wheel .. ......... .... .... 252
Changing engine oil
Chassis 221
Undercoating .. .. ... .. ... ..... .. .. 204