Audi A4 Owner's Manual page 235

document_0900452a81b1b9de.book Seite 233 Donnerstag, 26. Juli 2007 9:16 09
additional mirrors fitted. Both exterior mirrors should be mounted
on hinged extension brackets. Adjust the mirrors to give sufficient
vision to the rear.
Headlights
Before starting a journey, check the headlight beam settings with
the trailer hitched up. If necessary, alter the height of the headlight
beams by means of the headlight range control ⇒ page 60.
Power supply
When you remove the ignition key the power supply to the trailer is
interrupted.
Removable ball joint coupling
Vehicles with a factory-fitted towing bracket are equipped with a
removable ball joint coupling. It is carried under the floor panel on
the left-hand side of the luggage compartment and is secured by a
strap.
Note
We recommend having the car serviced between the normal inspec-
tion intervals if it used frequently for towing a trailer.
Applies to vehicles: with towing bracket
Trailer stabilisation system
Trailer stabilisation helps to reduce the risk of the vehicle
skidding when towing a trailer.
The trailer stabilisation system is operational only when the ESP is
switched on and there is no malfunction in the ESP ⇒ page 17.
When is the trailer stabilisation system activated?
Trailer stabilisation is active when the following requirements are
met:
The ESP must NOT be switched off ⇒ page 222,
Controls
socket.
How trailer stabilisation works:
In many cases, the driver can stabilise a swaying trailer by manually
braking the vehicle.
However, if the ESP detects that the trailer is swaying and this is
affecting the towing vehicle, it will automatically brake the vehicle
to stabilise the trailer by slowing it down. The warning lamp
light up in the instrument cluster. If possible, do not turn the
steering wheel at this stage.
In order to warn traffic behind you, the brake lights will come on
during this automatic braking operation.
A trailer weighing less than 70% of the kerb weight of the towing
vehicle may sway quite considerably without the trailer stabilisation
system intervening. This can happen when the swaying movements
of the light-weight trailer are not or hardly passed on to the towing
vehicle and are therefore not detected by the ESP.
If the system for activating the trailer brake lights is defective, this
will be indicated in the instrument cluster display ⇒ page 37, "Bulb
monitor ".
Requirements for correct functioning of the trailer
stabilisation system
If these conditions are not met in full, the trailer stabilisation system
will only intervene to a limited extent or not at all ⇒
trailer must be functioning correctly, without any defects.
adapted to the load that is being carried.
draw bar weight.
Safety Driving tips General maintenance
The trailer connector must be properly secured in the vehicle
Vehicle speed must be higher than approx. 60 km/h.
The electrical connection between the towing vehicle and the
The load on the trailer must be properly secured.
The tyre pressures on both the vehicle and the trailer must be
Where possible, operate the trailer with the maximum permitted
Self-help
Towing a trailer 233

will
.
Technical data