Audi A4: Special driving situations
Driving uphill and downhill
When driving uphill, downhill, or at high altitudes,
note the following information:
- Drive slowly and carefully.
- Do not try to turn around if you cannot safely
drive on an incline or hill. Instead, drive in reverse.
- When driving down hills, you can activate the
hill descent control if you press the brake pedal
while driving in "D" gear. The automatic transmission
will select a gear suitable for driving
down the hill and will attempt to maintain the
speed at which the vehicle was traveling at the
time the brake pedal was pressed. Press the
brake pedal if necessary. The hill descent control
will switch off once the hill levels out or
you press the accelerator pedal.
- Utilize the engine braking effect when driving
downhill by selecting the "S" driving program. This especially applies when
towing
a trailer. This reduces the load on the brakes.
- Apply the brakes in intervals and do not press
the brake pedal continuously.
WARNING
- Only drive on inclines that your vehicle is designed
to handle. Do not exceed the hill
climbing ability of your vehicle. Your vehicle
could tip or slide.
- Do not drive at an angle on steep inclines
and hills. If your vehicle is about to tip, you
must immediately start steering in the direction
of the downward slope to reduce the
risk of an accident.
- Always be ready to brake when using the hill
descent control function.
Offroad mode
Applies to: allroad
Your vehicle is not an offroad vehicle. Note the
following points when driving offroad:
- Drive slowly and carefully.
- To reduce the risk of underbody damage, pay
attention to the vehicle's ground clearance and
drive across raised areas of the ground with the
wheels on one side of the vehicle, instead of allowing
the center of the vehicle to pass over the
raised areas.
- To reduce the risk of becoming stuck, drive
through sandy or swampy areas at a steady
speed and without stopping, if possible.
If necessary, use the following functions:
- Audi drive select* offroad mode
- Hill hold assist*
- Limit ESC
WARNING
Only drive in terrain that is suitable for the vehicle
and your driving ability.
For the sake of the environment
Avoid actions that are damaging to the environment.
Show respect for the natural environment
and remain on marked routes.
Tips
Clean your vehicle after driving offroad. Dirt
and stones falling off your vehicle can affect
other road users.
Driving though water
If you must drive through water, follow these instructions:
- Check the stability of the ground, the current,
and the water depth. If the ground is unstable,
there is a strong current, or there are waves,
the water must only reach up to the lower edge
of the body at the most.
- Deactivate the Start/Stop system*.
- Drive carefully and no faster than at walking
speeds to prevent the front of the vehicle from
creating waves, because they could splash
above the lower edge of the body. Oncoming
vehicles could also create waves.
- Do not stop the vehicle while in the water.
- Drive in reverse.
- Do not turn the engine off.
WARNING
After driving through water, press the brake
pedal carefully to dry the brakes so that the
full braking effect will be restored.
Note
Vehicle components such as the motor, drive
system, suspension, or electrical system can
be severely damaged by driving through water.
Tips
If possible, avoid driving through salt water
because it increases the risk of corrosion. Use
fresh water to clean any vehicle components
that come into contact with salt water.
Hill descent assist
Applies to: vehicles with hill hold assist
The button is located above the
selector lever
in the center console. It lights up when the system
is turned on.
Hill descent assist can assist you when driving
down hills by maintaining a constant vehicle
speed by automatically braking all four wheels.
You can adjust the speed using the accelerator
and brake pedals. The regulation depends on the
hill and the vehicle speed.
- Switching on: press .
- Switching off: press
again.
Active regulation
Regulation begins shortly after you start driving
and is possible at speeds up to approximately 19
mph (30 km/h) and on hills that have an approximately
6-60% grade. If these conditions are met, regulation will be activated and the
indicator
light will turn on.
Ready mode
If one of the requirements for active regulation is
not met, the system will be in ready mode. The
indicator light will turn on. Once the requirements
are met again, the system will be able to
provide active regulation again.
WARNING
- Be ready to apply the brakes at all times
when using the hill hold assist.
- Always adjust the speed to the visibility,
weather, road, and traffic conditions. The
system cannot replace the driver's attention.
- The system cannot maintain a constant vehicle
speed in all situations, for example when
on smooth or slippery ground. This can in-crease the risk of an accident.
Tips
If you select the Audi drive select* offroad
mode, hill descent assist will switch on.
READ NEXT:
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with Audi drive select
Drive select makes it possible to experience different
types of vehicle characteristics in one vehicle.
With different driving modes, the driv
Adaptive dampers
Applies to: vehicles with suspension control
The adaptive dampers are an electronically-controlled
damping system. The firmness of the suspension
will adapt to the driving conditions
SEE MORE:
Wind Deflector, Removing and Installing, Sedan
Removing
- Move the glass panel toward the rear.
- Slightly lift the tab on the bearing -1-
for the wind deflector -2- using a
screwdriver in the direction of -arrow A-.
- Push the wind deflector bearing all the way to the rear in the
Special tools and workshop equipment required
Torque Wrench 1783 - 2-10Nm -VAG1783-
Removing
- Remove the steering column from the instrument panel central
tube and place in the driver footwell with the steering
intermediate shaft attached. Refer to
→ Chapter "Steering Column, Remo