2000 AUDI ALLROAD Owners Manual

VEHICLE OPERA
TION-----------------------
Trailer towing
Yo ur Audi was designed primarily for pas­
senger transportat ion. The additional load
will affect durability, economy and perfor­
mance.
Tra iler towing not only places more stress
on the vehicle, it also calls for more con­
centration from the driver.
For this reasons, always follow the opera­
ting and driving instructions given and use
common sense.
208 Te
chnical requirements
Tr ailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to
the gross trailer weight. The hitch must be
suitable for your vehicle and trailer and
securely bolted to appropriate place on the
vehicle's chassis. Use only a trailer hitch
with removable ball mount. Always check
with the trailer hitch manufacturer to make
sure that you are using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way
that it does not interfere with the impact-ab­
sorbing bumper system. No modifications
should be made to the vehicle exhaust and
brake systems. From time to time, check
that all hitch mounting bolts remain secure­
ly fastened. When
you are not towing a trailer, remove
the trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents
the hitch from causing damage should your
vehicle be struck from behind.
�W ARNING
When you are no longer towing a
trailer, remove the entire trailer
hitch. When doing so, seal all bolt
holes to prevent water and deadly
exhaust fumes from entering the
vehicle.
Engine cooling system
To wing a tr ailer make the engine work hard­
er. It is important that the engine cooling
system be up to the job. Make sure that the
cooling system has enough fluid.

Tr
ailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a bra king sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
The trailer brake system must not be direct­
ly connected to the vehicle' s brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your ve­
hicle and trailer.
Tr ailer lights
Tra iler lights must meet all regulations. Do
not connect the trailer light system directly
to the light system of your vehicle. Be sure
to check with your Audi Dealer for correct
wiring, switches and relays. Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind
you using the regular outside mirrors, then
you must install extended mirrors. It's im­
porta nt that you always have clear vision to
the rear.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limi ted to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a
trailer.
�W ARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in
a moving vehicle is at much great­
er risk in an accident.
Never let anyone ride without the
restra ints provided by Audi. VEHICL
E OPER ATION
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked
with the trailer attached before driving off.
Adjust as necessary so that you can see the
road ahead but not blind on-coming traffic.
Check proper working of vehicle and trailer
lights.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly
conn ected from the trailer to the hitch on
the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the
chains to permit turning corners. When you
install safety chains, make sure they will not
drag on the road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case
of separation from the hitch.
209

VEHICLE OPER
ATION-----------------------
Driving Instructions
To obtain the best possible handling of ve­
hicle and trailer , please note the following:
• A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and
control. This means that the tow vehicle
should be loaded to the extent possible and
permissible while keeping the trailer as light
as possible under the circumstances.
Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to
the luggage compartment of the tow ve­
hicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
• The higher the speed, the more difficult
it becomes for the driver to control the rig.
Do not drive at the maximum per­
missible speed. Reduce your speed even
more under unfavorable load, weather or
wind conditions - particularly when going
dow nhill.
210 Be
especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
Reduce vehicle speed immediately if the
trailer shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the sway ing by accel erat­
ing.
Observe speed limits. In some areas
speeds for vehicles towing trailers are low­
er than for regular vehicles.
• Always apply brakes early.
When driving downhill, shift into lower gear
to use the engine braking effect to slow
down the vehicle. Use of the brakes alone
can cause them to overheat and fail. •
The coolant temperatura gauge
must be observed carefully. H the
needle nears the upper end of the
scale, reduce speed immediately
and/or switch off the air condi­
tioner.
If the coolant temperature warning
light in the instrument cluster starts
flashing in red, pull off the road,
stop and let the engine idle for about
2 minutes to prevent a heat build-up.

-----------------------VEHICL E OPER ATION
Tr ailer towing tips
Yo ur vehicle handles differently when tow­
ing a trailer because of the additional weight
and weight distribution. Safety, perfor­
mance and economy will greatly depend on
how carefully you load your trailer and oper­
ate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic until you learn the feel of
your vehicle and trailer unit.
Backing up is difficult and requir es practice.
Steering while backing up is generally oppo­
site of that when backing your vehicle with­
out a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your
vehicle 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
accelerate 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 trailer before
changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
After parking, always block the wheels of
both vehicle and trailer. Do not park with a
trailer on a slope. If it cannot be avoided, do
so only after doing the following:
• Apply foot brake.
• Have someone place chocks under both
vehicle and trailer wheels.
• With chocks in place, slowly release
brakes until wheel blocks absorb the load.
• Turn wheels to curb.
o Apply parking brake.
• Place automatic transmission in "P". If
you move the selector lever of the auto­
matic transmission to "P" before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may require more force later to
move the lever out of the "P" position.
When restarting after parking on a slope, re­
verse the procedure:
• Start the engine.
• Shift transmission into gear.
o Release the parking brake and slowly
move away from the wheel blocks.
• Stop and have someone retrieve the
wheel blocks.
Notes
• Do not tow a trailer during the
break-in period of your vehicle.
• If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load -see also page 228.
211

VEHICLE CA
RE---------------------------------------------------
Cleaning and protec tion
Any automobile is subjected to abuse from
indus trial fumes, corrosive road salt, aban­
doned lollipops, muddy dog feet, etc. A well
cared- for Audi can look like new many years
after purchase. Regular and correct care will
contribute to maintaining the beauty and
value of your Audi.
Furthermore. good care may be a
condition for upholding a warranty
claim should corrosion damage or
paint defects occur.
Yo ur Audi Dealer has a variety of vehicle­
care products and can advise you which
ones to use for cleaning the exterior and in­
terior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended
by Audi or other commercially available
cleaning agents, please make very sure you
apply them correctly.
212
r.Gb Select only environmentally � friendly cleaning products. Any
remaining cleaning products do not
belong in the household waste.
�W ARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poison­
ous. Keep them out of the reach of
children.
• Observe all caution labels.
• Always read directions on the
cont ainer before using any prod­
uct. Follow these directions care­
fully.
• Most chemical cleaners are con­
centrates which require dilution.
• Only use spot removing fluids in
well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline. kerosene.
Diesel fuel. nail polish remover or
other volatile fluids. They may be
toxic, flammable or hazardous in
other ways. Care
of exterior
Important Never use polishes or hard waxes on
matte- painted parts or plastic parts,
since this can permanently damage
the visual appearance of the sur­
faces of these parts.
In parti cular , make certain that the roof,
bumper, trim moldings, rocker panel mol­
ding and wheel house liners do not come
in contact with cleaners I polishes or hard
waxes.

Washing
The best protection against environmental
influences is frequent washing and waxing.
How often this is required depends on how
much the vehicle is used, where it is parked
(garage, in the open under trees, etc.), the
seasonal and weather conditions as well as
env ironmental influences. The longer bird
droppings, insects, tree resin, road and in­
dustrial grime, tar, soot, road salt and other
materials remain on the vehicle paint, the
more lasting their destructive effect will be.
High temperatures, as from strong sunlight,
intensify the corrosive effect.
Under certain circumstances, weekly
washing may be necessary. Under other
conditions. a monthly washing and waxing
may be adequate.
After the winter, the underside of the ve­
hicle should be thoroughly washed. Automatic
car wash
The vehicle paint is so durable that the ve­
hicle can normally be washed without prob­
lems in an automatic car wash. However,
the effect on the paint depends to a large
extent on the design of the facil ity, the filter­
ing of the wash water, the type of wash and
care material, etc. If the paint has a dull ap­
pearance after going through the car wash
or is scratched, bring this to the atte ntion of
the operator immediately. If necessary use
a different car wash.
Notes
• Before going through a car wash, be sure
to take the usual precautions such as clos­
ing the windows and sunroof*.
• You don't have to remove the factory­
installed radio antenna. However, if your ve­
hicle is equipped with the Navigation Sys­
tem*, then you must remove the antenna.
• If you have installed additional accesso­
ries on the vehicle -such as spoilers, roof
rack, etc. -it is best to ask the car wash op­
erator if these should be remov ed. VE
HICLE CARE
Washing the vehicle by hand
� In the intsi'Sst of the environ­
� msnt, the vehicle should only be
washed in special wash bays.
First soften the dirt with plenty of water and
rinse off as well as possible.
Then clean the vehicle with a soft sponge,
glove or brush starting on the roof and work­
ing down using only slight pressure. Special
car wash soap should only be used for very
persistent dirt.
Rinse the sponge or glove thoroughly and
oft en.
Clean wheels .and sill panels last, using a dif­
ferent sponge if pos sible.
After washing the vehicle, rinse thoroughly
with water and wipe it off.
213

VEHICL E CA
RE----------------------------------------------------
Notes
• Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun­
light.
• If the vehicle is rinsed with a hose, do not
direct the water into the lock cylinders -
otherwise they may freeze up in the winter.
�W ARNING
• Do not wash, wax or dry the ve­
hicle with the engine running.
• Do not clean the underside of
chassis, fenders, wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your
hands and arms. You may cut your­
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may
affect braking efficiency. Test the
brakes carefully after each vehicle
wash.
214 Washing
your vehicle with a power
washer
If you use a power washer, please note the
following:
• Always follow the operating instructions
for the power washer -especially for pres­
sure and spraying distance.
• Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shape" spray. Do not use
a jet which sprays the water out in a direct
stream or one that has a rota ting jet.
• Water temperature should not exceed
140 °F (60 °C).
�W ARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that
sprays the water out in a direct
stream. This could invisibly dam­
age and weaken the tires, even if
they are sprayed from a relatively
long distance for a vary short
amount of time. Damaged and
weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury. Headli
ghts
Do not clean your headlights with a dry
towel or sponge. They must be cleaned
with a moistened towel.
Never use a sponge designed for removing
dried-on insects, a kitchen scrubber or any
other similar product since the lens surface
can be damaged by scrat ching and scour­
ing.
When using high-pressure washing equip­
ment or steam-cl eaning units, never spray
the vehicle with the nozzle close the vehicle
surface and never aim the spray at the same
point for a relatively long period of time.
Polishing Please refer to the imp ortant information on
page 212.
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost
its shine and the gloss cannot be brought
back with wax. If the polish used doesn't
contain preservative compounds, the paint
must be waxed afterwards.
Do not treat matte- pain�ed and plas­
tic parts with polish or wax.

Waxing
Please refer to the important information on
page 212.
• A good wax coati ng protects the vehicle
paint to a large extent against the environ­
mental influences listed under "Washing"
and even agains t light scratches.
• When water doesn't form small drops
and roll off clean paint, apply a coat of good
hard wax. Even if a wax solution is used reg­
ularly for washing your vehicle, it is advis­
able to protect the paint with a coat of hard
wax at least twice a year.
• To protect bright metal trim, use car wax.
• Protect plastic body parts painted the
same as the vehicle body with car wax.
• Do not use car wax on ...
- matte or anodized metal trim
rubber or rubber-l ike trim. Tr
im strips
Dirty patches and marks on the trim strips
should be removed with a pH-balanced
cleaning agent (do not use a chrome
cleaner). Audi Dealers carry cleaning prod­
ucts which have been tested for use on your
vehicle and are not harmful to the environ­
ment.
To avoid corrosion on the exterior trim
str ips, only a pH-balanced solution should
be used for the windshield washer.
To uch-up paint
Yo ur Audi Dealer has touch-up paint for mi­
nor scratches and stone chips. Scratches
should be touched up soon after they occur
to prevent corrosion.
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job won't be enough. The affected
surface must be smoothed with sand paper
and covered with an anti-rust primer before
the painted finish can be restored.
The n umber for the original vehicle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification label
- see page 291 . VE
HICLE CARE
Windows Clean all windows regularly to remove road
film and car- wash wax buildup. Use a luke­
warm soap and water sol uti on or an alcohol­
based commercial window cleaning agent.
If a chamois is used for polishing the glass,
it should be used exclusively for that pur­
pose.
Also, be sure to clean all windows regularly
on the inside.
Use a plastic scraper to remove snow and
ice from windows and mirrors. To help pre­
vent dirt from scratching the windo w, al­
ways scrape in a forward direction -push­
ing the scraper away from you-never back
and forth.
Note
To prevent damage the wires of the rear
defogger, do not place any adhesive stick­
ers in the inside of the rear window over the
wires.
215