f4
WARNING continued
• If the brake warning light does
not go out with the engine running
and the parking brake released, or
lights up while you ere driving, the
fluid level in the brake fluid reser
voir is too low.
• If you believe that it Is safe to do
so, proceed immediately at low
speed to the nearest authorized
Audi Dealer or qualified workshop
and have the brake system in
spected.
• Please be very careful and be
sure to remember that after sev
eral brake applications, you will
need greater pressure on the brake
pedal to stop your vehicle. Conse
quently, you must allow for in
creased braking distances. Trying
to brake as quickly as usual could
lead to an accident.
For details see "Brakes.. on page
201. Generator
This
light comes on when the ignition is
turned on and goes out after the engine is
started. If the light does not go out after
star ting and rewing up the engine momen
tarily or lights up while driving, there may be
a malfunc tion in the electrical system, or the
V- belt driving the gener ator may be broken. A If the warning light comes on
V while driving, stop the vehicle
and turn oft the engine. Inspect the
belts.
If the V-belt is not torn, you can still continue
driving to the nearestAudi Dealer. However,
since the battery is no longer being charged,
switch off all unne cessary electrical equip
ment.
If the V- belt is tom, the power steering and
the radiator fan will also not work.
Obtain expert assistance.
g Always heed all WA RNINGS
r!!l on page 232, chapter "En
gine compartment '". CONT
ROLS AND EQ UIPMENT
Safety belts
Yo ur vehicle has a warning light to remind
you to wear your safety belt and to make
sure that others do too.
After switching on the ignition, the warning
light in the instrument cluster will come on
for about 6 seconds along with a war ning
tone. As soon as you fasten your safety belt,
the warning tone will stop.
The warning light, however, will be on for
the entire 6 seconds.
Fasten your safety belt now and ma
ke sure that your passengers also
properly put on their safety belts.
Please be sure to read the chapter
"Safety belts" page 14.
127
VE
HICLE OPERATION------------------------
The external conditions
in which you drive also affect your fuel con
sumption.
The following conditions increase fuel con
sumption:
• Heavy traffic, especially in large cities
with many traffic lights.
• Stop-and-go driving, especially short dis
tances so that the engine never warms up
as it should.
• Driving in heavy, slow moving traffic in
low gear so that the engine speed is rela
tively high when compared to the distance
driven.
� Plan your trips ahaad of time. Or
� ganizs your trips to include sev
sral errands and to avoid heavy traf
fi c.
Of course, there are some conditions that
will affect fuel consumption that you can't
control.
For example, fuel consumption increases in
the winter or under difficult conditions (bad
roads, towing a trailer, etc.).
19 6 The
technical requirements
for optimum fuel consumption and eco
nomy were ''built" intoyourvehicle. Special
attention was paid to the environment. To
reta in and make use of these characteris
tics, please note the following points:
riJ Use only unleaded gasoline.
Leaded gasoline causes damage to the cat
alytic converter and other components of
the emission system.
t:Gh Have your vehicle serviced by an
� Audi Dealar at the specified in
tervals -see page 228 and your
Main tenance booklet.
Having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi Dealer helps ensure that it runs prop
erly and economical ly, that it does not dis
turb the environment, and that it has a long
service life. t:Gh
Check
your tire pressure once a
W month.
Low tire pressure increases fuel consump
tion and tire wear, and impair s vehicle han
dling.
�W ARNING
Underinflation and overloading of
tires can lead to tire failure. Sud
den failur e on the road could cause
a serious or fata l accident. See
page 253 for inflation informa
tion.
� Do not carry unnecessary items
in the luggage compartment.
Particularly in city traffic where you must
often accelerate, weight influences fuel
consumption.
Braking
General notes
• The brakes on today's automobiles are
still subject to wear, depending largely on
operating conditions and driving habits. On
vehicles which are driven mostly in stop
an d-go city traffic or which are driven hard,
the brake pads should be checked by your
authorized Audi Dealer more often than
specified in the Maintenance booklet.
• On steep slopes, you should use the
braking effect of the engine. This way, you
prevent unnecessary wear to the brake sys
tem. If you must use your brakes, do not
hold the brakes down continu ously. Pump
the brakes at interv als.
• Under certain conditions, for example,
when driving through water or very heavy
rain, or even after washing your vehicle, the
braking effect can be reduced due to the
wet brake pads or pads which are iced-up in
the winter. A few cautious brake applica
tions should dry off the brake pads or re
move ice coati ngs. The
effect iveness of the brakes can be re
duced when the vehicle is driven on a salt
covered road and the brakes are not used.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
�W ARNING
• If you damage the front spoiler,
or if you install a different spoiler,
be sure the air flow to the front
brakes is not obstructed, other
wise the brake system could over
heat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake aystem.
• Failure of one brake circuit will
impair the braking capability re
sulting in an increased stopping
distance.
Avo id driving the vehicle and have
it towed to the nearest authorized
Audi Dealer or qualified work
shop. VEH
ICLE OPERATION
Brake booster
�W ARNING
• The brake booster works with
vacuum pressure which is created
only when the engine is running.
Never let the vehicle roll to a stop
with the angina shut off.
• If the brake booster is not work
ing, for example when towing your
vehicle, or because the brake boo
ster has somehow been damaged,
the brake pedal must be pressed
harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
201
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.
lira
service life
The service life of your tires depends for the
most part on the following factors:
lire pressure
Requir ed cold tire inflation pressures are
listed on a sticker inside the fuel filler flap or
on the rear passenger's door pillar (right
side) -depending on the model.
�W ARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures can lead
to a serious or fatal accident:
• Incorrect tire pressures cause
increased tire wear and can affect
handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect pressures can also
lead to sudden tire failure and
deflati on, causing loss of vehicle
contr ol.
c£' Low tire pressures increase fuel
consumption, which is detri
mental to the environment. Tire
pressures should be checked at least
once a month and always before a long trip.
Tire pressures are very important,
particularly when the vehicle is driv
en at higher speeds.
If you are going to be driving at higher
speeds (a lot of expressway driving), then it
is rec ommended to increase the tire pres
sure by 5 psi (0.3 bar).
Always check tire pressures when the tires
are cold. When the tires are warm, the pres
sure will be highe r. Do not reduce the
pressure of warm tires.
Don't forget to check the spare wheel. The
inflation pressure is marked on the tire side
wall.
Use an accurate tire pressure gauge when
checking inflation pressures. Never exceed
the maximum tire inflation pressure listed
on the tire sidewall. Cold tire inflation pres
sure means: the vehicle has been standing
for at least 3 hours or driven for less than
1 mile (1 km).
Do not forget to replace the valve stem caps
after checking tire pressure. VE
HICL E CA RE
Driving habits
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking all increase tire wear.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
When driving, however, various conditions
can cause a wheel to become unbalanced.
This may be noticed as vibrations in the
steering.
Since tire imbalance can cause wear on the
steeri ng, suspension and tires, you should
have your wheels re-balanced. A wheel
should always be balanced if a new tire has
been mounted or a tire was repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes exces
sive and uneven tire wear, impairing the
safety ofth e veh ide. If you notice excessive
tire wear, contact your authorized Audi
Dealer.
253
Only
when tires show unusual wear such as
feather-e dging should they be rotated diag
� nall y. Yo ur vehicle may be equipped with
trres which have a specified rotation direc
tion. The rotation direction is identified by
arrow markings on the sides of the tires.
The rotation direction must not be revers ed.
Therefore, these tires cannot be switched
diagonally. If in doubt, discuss any unusual
tire wear with your authorized Audi Dealer's
service department.
After rotation adjust tire pressure and
torque wheel bolts diagonally to 90 tt lb
(120 Nm). Refer to "Changing a wheel" on
page 267 for details. Tire
replacement
Wheels and tires approved by the manu fac
turer have been specially matched to your
vehicle and contribute greatly to the road
holding, driving characteristics and safety of
the vehicle.
Make sure that the new tires also meet the
specifications listed on the label located on
the inside of the fuel filler flap or on the driv
er's door lock jamb.
It's �mporta nt to remember that in spite of
h �vrng the same tire designation, the actual
s1ze of a tire can vary from tire man ufacturer
to tire man ufacturer. Using different tire and
wheel rim combinations can result in re
duced clearance between the tire and the
vehicle body.
Therefore, never mount tires that
are of a different designation or
have different dimensions from
those of the factory supplied tires
which came equipped on your ve
hicle. VE
HICLE CARE
• If you must replace tires different from
those which were originally factory supplied
on your vehicle, always use the specific
brands, specifications and dimensions
which were specified by Audi for your ve
hicle.
Yo ur authorized Audi dealer or Audi Client
Relations have information regarding the
t1res and wheel rims specified for your car,
and can tell you which tires and tire
man ufacturers were approved by the fac
tory for original equipment installation.
• We recommend that you have your tires
changed by an authorized Audi Dealer, be
cause they have the special tools and nec
essary expertis e.
Furthermore, your authorized Audi Dealer
stocks a range of tires and wheels.
• If the spare tire is different from the tires
that you have mounted on your vehicle (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 a tire matching the others
on your vehicle as soon as possible.
255
VEH
ICLE CARE
Winter tires
The tires for your vehicle were selected for
optimal performance under a variety of driv
ing conditions.
If your Audi is equipped with high perfor
mance tires (identified by code letter V, W
or Z on the tire flank) and you drive frequent
ly on ice or sno w, you should consider the
installation of all season or winter tires. Let
your authorized Audi Dealer advise and as
sist you.
For winter driving, the driveability of your
vehicle can be improved by installing radial
winter tires (M+S) with or without studs1l.
The all season tires with which your ve
hicle may have been equipped at the factory
are perform ance tires advertised by the tire
manufacturer as suitable for all weather use
or with special mud and snow (M+S) capa
bility.
Winter tires, sometimes also called snow
tires, are designed for maximum traction in
mud and snow.
,, Check with your local Motor Vehicle Bu
reau for possible restrictions.
260 When
installing winter tires, please
note the following:
• Only radial ply winter tires may be
installed. Ask your authorized Audi Dealer
for the recommended tire size.
• Winter tires must be mounted on all four
wheels.
• Because of the special design character
istics of radial ply M+S tires, they must be
inflated 3 psi above the cold tire inflation
pressures required for the regular radial ply
tires. However, never exceed the maximum
tire inflation pressure listed on the tire side
wall.
• Winter tires will not do their job if the
tread depth is less than 5/32 of an inch
(4 mm). �
WARNING
• Tires with badly wom treads
and studs are very dangerous.
Make sure they are replaced imme
diately.
• Never mix tires of different de
sign such as steel belted radials
with radial bias belted or bias ply
tires, etc. Mixing tire types will ad
versely affect road holding and
can lead to loss of vehicle control
and personal inlury.
• Winter tires with studs should be run
only at moderate speeds when new in order
to give the studs time to settle.
Do not drive a vehicle equipped with
winter tires at prolonged high
speed.
Winter tires use a softer rubber compound
and a deeper tread pattern and therefore
have a lower speed rating and reduced trac
tion and durability when used on dry roads.
• When winter tires or all season tires are
mounted, make sure you observe the
speed limitations for which the tire is rated.
The following speed rating code letters are
applicable:
0- up to 1 00 mph (160 km/h)
T- up to 118 mph (190km/h)
H- up to 130 mph (210 lcm/h). �W
ARNING
• Winter tires available for your
vehicle may have a maximum
speed rating which is less than the
maximum speed of your vehicle.
• Driving faster than the maxi
mum speed for which tires are
rated and approved will lead to
sudden tire failure. This can cause
loss of vehicle control and lead to
an accident and personal injury.
• Never operate a vehicle at
speeds greater than the maximum
speed rating of its tires.
• Always observe speed limits
and adjust your vehicle to prevail
ing road and traffic conditions.
Snow chains
• For engineering reasons, snow chains
must only be installed on special winter ti
res• 1).
11 Not available at the time of printing. VEHI
CLE CARE
• If you want to mount snow chains
on your vehicle, consult your Audi
Dealer for proper rim I tire combina
tion.
• Snow chains should only be
installed on the rear wheels, never
on the front wheels.
Where snow chains are mandatory
on certain roads, this normally also
applies to vehicles with All Wheel
Drive.
When you install snow chains,
check the tire air pressure first to
make sure it's correct, otherwise the
chains will not fit the wheel prop
erly.
Only use chains with fine pitch links protrud
ing no more than 1h inch (15 mm), including
tensioner, from tire tread and side walls.
Wheels must rotate freely in all steering
positions with chains mounted to prevent
damage to body, axle or brake components.
Drive slowly and follow the chain
manuf acturer's instructions.
Remove chains when roads are free of
snow. Otherwise, the chains can damage
the tires and impair vehicle handling.
261