VEHICLE
CARE---------------------------------------------------
Maintenance
Yo ur vehicle has been designed to help
keep maintenance requirements to a mini
mum.
However. a certa in amount of regular main
tenance is still necessary to assure your ve
hic le's safety, economy and reliabili ty.
c£> By regularly maintaining your
vehicle, you help make sure that
emission standards are maintai ned,
thus minimizing adverse effects on
the envir onment.
For detailed vehicle maintenance consult
your Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating condi
tions, for example at extremely low out
side temperatures, in very dusty regions,
when towing a trailer very frequently, etc.,
some service work should be performed
between the intervals specified.
This applies particularly to:
• oil changes, and
• cleaning or replacing the air filter.
228 Important
considerations for
you and your vehicle:
The increasing use of electr onics, sophisti
cated fuel injection and emission control
systems, and the generally increasing tech
nical complexity of today's automobiles,
have steadily reduced the scope of mainte
nance and repairs which can be carried out
by vehicle owners. Also, safety and en
vironmental concerns place very strict
limi ts on the nature of repairs and adjust
ments to engine and transmission parts
which an owner can perform . Main
tenance, adjustments and repairs usu
ally require special tools, testing devices
and other equipment available to specially
trained workshop personnel in order to as
sure proper performance, reliability and
safety of the vehicle and its many systems.
Impr oper maintenan ce, adjustments and
repairs can impair the operation and reliabil
ity of your vehicle and even void your ve
hicle warranty. Therefore, proof of servicing
in accordance with the maintenance
schedule may be a condition for upholding
a possible warranty claim made within the
warranty period.
Above all, operational safety can be ad
versely affected, creating unnecessary
risks for you and your passengers.
VEHI
CLE CARE
J'4 WARN ING continued
• If you must work underneath
the vehicle with the wheels on the
ground, always make sure the ve
hicle is on level ground. that the
wheels are always securely
blocked and that the engine can
not be started. Always remove the
ignition key before anyone gets
under the vehicle.
Always make sure the transmis
sion selector lever (automatic
transmission) is in "P" (Park posi
tion) and the hand brake is firmly
applied.
• Always be extremely careful
when working on the vehicle. Always follow commonly accepted safety practices and general com
mon sense. Never risk personal in
jury.
230 �
Changing the engine settings
will adversely aHect emission
levels. This Is detrimental to the en
vi ronment and increases fuel con
sumption.
Always observe environmental reg
ulations when disposing of old en
gine oil. used brake fluid, dirty en
gine coolant, spent batteries or
worn out tires.
When
adding fluids, always make
sure that they are poured into the
proper container or filler opening,
otherwise serious damage to ve
hicle systems will occur. r:Gb To detect leaks in time, inspect
� the vehicle floor pen from under
neath regular ly. If you see spots
from oil or other vehicle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an autho
ri zed Audi Dealer .
D Always heed all WA RNINGS
� on page 232.
Always exercise extreme caution
when working under the engine
hood. -
VE HICLE CARE
Pos.
1 - Battery ............. . _ .. .. .
2- Brake fluid reservoir . . . 242
3 - Engine oil dipstick ... . _ 235
4- Engine oil filler cap . . . 235
5- Coolant expansion tank . . . 239
6 - Power steering reservoir .
241
7 - Windshield /headlight
washer container ......•• _ .... . 250
233
VE
HICLE CARE---------------------------------------------------
Engine oil
Specification and viscosity
Yo ur engine was factory filled with an all
season high quality engine oil. If you need to
add oil between oil changes, use any high
quality petroleum- or synthetic-based oil
with correct specifications.
The following terms must appear on the oil
conta iner singly or in combination with oth
er designations:
- API Service SJ
- ACEA A2 or ACEA A3
Engine oils are graded according to their vis
cosity. The proper grade to be used in your
engine depends on existing climatic or sea
sonal conditions.
The engine oil which was first put into your
engine has a viscosity grade of SAE OW--30.
You can use this oil over all temperature
ranges for normal driving. If engine oil vis
costy grade SAE OW--30 is not available, you
can also use SAE 5W-30 or SAE 5W-40.
See your authorized Audi Dealer tor more in
formation regarding oil for your vehicle.
234 I
B31-113C I
Engine oil identification symbol
Oils of the proper qualityforyour vehicle will
be identified with a new "starburst" sym
bol A. The starburst symbol indicates that
the oil has been certified by the American
Petr oleum Institute (API). Another
oil identi fication symbol B could be
added to the oil container to help you select
the correct oil.
1 - The top portion indicates the oil quality
by API designations.
2 - The center portion shows the SAE oil
viscosity grade.
3- The lower portion indicates that the oil
has fuel saving capabilities.
Note
Look for one of these symbols on the
front of the oil container. and use
only oils that display these symbols.
Engine oil additives
Audi does not recommend the use of
oil additives. They may adversely af
fect your New Vehicle Warranty.
Engine
oil consumption
The rate of the oil consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of oil, the speed at
which the engine is operated, the climate,
and road conditions as well as amount of
dilution and oxidation of the lubricant.
Because of these variables, no standard
rate of oil consumption can be established,
but drivers should expect higher oil con
sumption at high speeds and when the en
gine is new.
Therefore, we recommend that you check
the oil level at regular intervals (for example,
each time you are refuelling, or before going
on a long trip).
If the oil level should go below the minimal
level, the check engine oil level warn
ing light* in the instrument cluster will
come on. See page 144. You should check
the oil level using the oil dip stick as soon as
possible, and then top off the oil as neces
sary. Notes
• The engine in your vehicle de
pends on oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts. Therefore the
engine oil should be checked regu
larly and kept at the required level.
• Lack of sufficient engine oil may
lead to severe engine damage.
• The oil pressure warning light is
not an oil level indicator.
A Always
heed all WAR NINGS
� on page 232.
Checking the engine oil level
The best time to check the engine oil level
is when the oil is warm.
To get a true reading, the vehicle must be on
level ground.
A Always heed all WAR NINGS
� on page 232.
• After turning off the engine, wait a few
minu tes for the oil to return to the oil pan. VE
HICLE CARE
• Pull out dipstick (arrow) and wipe it clean
with a rag.
• Reinsert dipstick; push it all the way in.
• Pull dipstick out again and read the level:
a - Yo u must not add oil.
b- You can add oil. The oil level may go
into the a range, but riot above the a
range
c - You must add oil.
After filling in oil, make sure that the oil
level is somewhere within the b range.
• After checking the oil level, please make
sure that the dipstick is pushed back in all
the way.
235
VEHICLE CA
RE---------------------------------------------------
Adding engine oil
A Always heed all WA RNINGS
r!!J on page 232.
• Turn off the engine.
• Unscrew the oil cap from the cylinder
head cover.
• Add oil by a half quart (half liter) at a time.
• Check the oil level with the dipstick.
:236 The
oil level must never be above the
"a .. range.
Otherwise oil could be drawn into the crank
case breather and get into the atmosphere
through the exhaust system. The oil
would bum then In the catalytic con
verter and cause damage.
� WARNING
Spilled oil is a fire hazard. The oil
filler cap must be secure to avoid
an oil spill.
• Carefully screw the oil cap back on and in
sert the oil dipstick all the way. Otherwise
oil could leak out when the engine is run
ning. Changing
the engine oil
The engine oil must be changed according
to the intervals specified in your Mainte
nance booklet.
This is very important because the lubricat
ing properties of oil diminish gradually dur
ing normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequently.
Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or under predominantly stop-and-go
traffic conditions, or have your vehicle
where temperatures remain below freezing
for exte nded periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make
fresh oil look dark after the engine has been
running for a short time. This is normal and
is not a reason to change the oil more often
than recommended.
---------------------------------------------------VEHICLE CA
RE
�W ARNING
• If you must change the engine
oil in your vehicle:
• Wear eye protection.
• To reduce the risk of burns from
hot engine oil let the engine cool
down to the touch.
• When removing the oil drain
plug with your fingers, stay as far
away as possible. Always keep
your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil
from running down your arm.
• Drain the oil into a container de�
signed for this purpose, one large
enough to hold at least the total
amount of oil in your engine. ,A
WARNING continued
• Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it
well out of the reach of children.
• Continuous contact with used
engine oil is harmful to your skin.
Always protect your skin by wash
ing thoroughly with soap and wa
ter. �
BefoN changing your oil, first
make sure you know where you
can properly dispose of the old oil.
Always dispose of used engine oil
proper ly. Do not dump it on garden
soil, wooded areas, Into open
streams or down sewage drains.
Recycle used engine oi l by taking it
to a used engine oil collection facil
ity in your area, or contact a service
station.
Because of the problem of proper
disposal, along with the special
tools and necessary expertise re
quired, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an au
thorized Audi Dealer or a qualified
workshop.
Always heed all WA RNINGS
on page 232.
237
VEHICLE CA
RE----------------------------------------------------
Engine cooling system
The cooling system is sealed and generally
requires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the
factory with a permanent coolant which
does not need to be changed. The coolant
consists of a mixture of water and the
man ufacturer's coolant additive G 12 ABD
-ant ifreeze on a glycol base with anti-corro
sion additives (50% for USA models; 60o/o
for Canadian models). This mixture assures
the necessary frost protection and protects
alloy components in the engine's cooling
system from corrosion and scaling. It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The proportion of coolant additive
must be at least 500fa but not more
than 600fa to maintain antifreeze protec
tion and cooling efficiency.
238 For
year-r ound driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
-31 °F (-35 °C) USA
-40 °F (-40 °C) Canada.
g Always heed all WA RNINGS
E!!1 on page 232.
Never use eny coolant additive
other than our G12 ABD additive
(check label) for your vehicle. This
coolant additive is available at au
thorized Audi Dealers.
Other types of antifreeze can. above
all. significantly reduce corrosion
protection. The resulting corrosion
can cause a loss of coolant and
therefore serious engine damage. When
adding coolant additive to
your cooling system. please remem
ber:
Under no circumstances may G12
ABD be mixed with other coolant ad
ditives (for example G 11 ).
You can recognize G12 ABD in the
expansion tank by its red color. If
the liquid in the expansion tank is
brown, G 12 ABD has been mixed
with another coolant additive. In
this case. your vehicle's coolant
must be changed as soon as pos
sible.
Note
Mixing coolant additives can result
in serious malfunction or engine
damage!