2008 AUDI A4 AVANT charging

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Taking the fuel cap off
- To open the fuel filler flap, pull the button~ page 269,
fig. 200.
- Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise and hang it on the fuel filler flap.
Refuelling procedure
- Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump into the
fuel filler neck as far as it will go.
- Select a medium refuelling rate so that the nozzle
switches off automatically when the tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
- After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler cap clockwise
until you hear a definite click.
- Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel tank always close
fuel filler cap properly and completely. An improperly closed fuel
filler cap may also cause the MIL lamp => page 27to come on.
& WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can cause fire, explosion
and severe burns .
• Fuel is highly flammable and can cause severe burns and other
injuries.
• Failure to shut the engine off while refueling and/or to insert
the pump nozzle fully into the car's filler neck could cause fuel
overflow and fuel spray. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel are
dangerous because they can cause fire or serious injury.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never use a cellular telephone while refueling. The electromag­
netic radiation can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire .
• Never get back into your vehicle while refueling. If in excep­
tional circumstances you must get back in your vehicle while refu­
eling, make certain that you close the door and touch metal to
discharge static electricity before touching the filler nozzle again .
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling .
• Never smoke or have an open flame anywhere in or near your
vehicle when refueling or filling a portable fuel container.
• For your safety, we strongly recommend that you do not travel
with a portable fuel container in your vehicle. The container, full or
empty may leak and could cause a fire, especially in a crash.
• If, under exceptional circumstances, you must transport a
portable fuel container, please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container while it is anywhere in or
on the vehicle (for example, in the luggage compartment, or on
the trunk). Static electricity can build up while filling and can
ignite fuel vapors causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container on the ground before
filling.
- Always keep the filler nozzle completely inside the portable container before and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of metal, the filler nozzle must always be in contact with the container. This will help
prevent static electricity from discharging and cause a fire.
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or luggage compartment .
Fuel vapors are highly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provincial laws regarding the
use, storage and transportation of fuel containers
~

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_n ~g _ a_n _d_ f_il _li _n ~g __ _
& WARNING (continued)
-The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident.
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle.
W For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery in your Audi does
not need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures it is
advisable however to check the fluid level at regular intervals
through the transparent battery housing. Also check the fluid level
each time you charge the battery. After charging the battery
~ page 289, you should likewise check the battery acid level.
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
Preserving battery charge on a vehicle not operated
for a long time
Some components of the electrical equipment (for example, the
electronic immobilizer) will keep drawing a low current even when the car is
not running
. This will eventually drain the battery
completely if your vehicle is left sitting for a long period of time
without being driven . To prevent this, either charge the battery
occasionally or disconnect the battery negative (ground) cable.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop . This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, particularly in city traff ic or
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
~ page 289. A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
[ i] Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced. •
Location of the vehicle battery
The vehicle battery is located in the plenum chamber at the back of
the engine
compartment~ page 275.
The positive(+) battery terminal is protected by a plastic cover. This cover must be removed to access to the positive(+) terminal when
connecting jumper cables to start the engine .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 273. •
Vehicle care

_____________________________________________ C_h_ e__;_ c_k _in ....::: g:._ a_n _d ;,:_;_ f....;il ....;li .:..n :.::g~--1""
Ap plies to vehi cles: with convent ional batte ries
Checking the battery acid level on
conventional batteries
The acid level of a conventional battery can be checked
visually.
Fig . 215 Engin e
co mp artmen t; Co nve n­
tio na l battery w ith acid
l eve l mar ks (cover
re m ove d)
-The level of acid inside the battery is visible through the
case at the font . Acid level should be exactly at t he "max"
mark or very close be low i t.
If the acid level has dropped below the "m in" mark, the low cell
should be topped to the
"max" mark with distill ed wa ter.
We recommend you have your authorized Audi dea ler test your
battery.
A battery that is older than five years and has a low acid level should be rep laced.
0 Not e
Do not overfill the battery, otherwise battery acid will overflow
through the vent opening . This can damage the paint and cause
corrosion. •
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
Always read and he ed all WARNINGS below => & and
=> & in "Working on the battery" on page 286.
-Switch off the ignition and all e lectrica l co nsumers.
-Make sure the area is well ventilated when you cha rge
t h e battery.
-Connec t charger cables . Charger cable s mu st alw ay s be
c onne cte d POSITIVE
G to POSITIVE G and NEGATIVE 8
to NEGATIVE (:).
-Switch on the charger.
-Make sure the charging rate is not over 6 amps.
-T urn off the charger ::::::,& .
-Disconnect the charger cab les .
-Connect both battery cables to the battery if necessary -
first plus, then minus.
It is not nec essary to remove the battery from th e engine compart ­
ment, and it is also not necessary to disconnect the cables.
Norma lly, a battery should be charged at no more than 10 percent
of its rated capacity . .,.
Ve hic le care irechnical data

___ C_ h_ e_c _k_ i_n ~g _ a_n_ d_ f_ il _li_ n~ g~--------------------------------------------
For example, a charging current of 4.5 amps would be used on a
battery rated at 45 Ah. Rated capacity of the battery in your vehicle
is listed on the battery housing .
The battery caps should
not be opened when charging a battery.
& WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
• Always follow the operating instructions provided by the
battery charger manufacturer when charging your battery.
• Never charge a frozen battery . It may explode because of gas
trapped in the ice. Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
• Do not reuse batteries which were frozen. The battery housing
may have cracked and weakened when the battery froze.
• Charge the battery in a well ventilated area. Keep away from
open flame or electrical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas gener ­
ated by the battery is explosive.
• To reduce the danger of explosion, never connect or disconnect
charger cables while the charger is operating.
• Fast charging a battery is dangerous and should only be
attempted by a competent technician with the proper equipment.
• Battery acid that may spill during charging should be washed
off with a solution of warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid.
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine . This will
seriously damage sensitive electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc ., as well as the battery charger. •
Disconnecting and connecting the battery
When the battery is disconnected some features on the
vehicle will become inoperative and you must reset them
when the battery is reconnected.
When you disconnect the vehicle battery note the following:
• some data stored in the driver information system is erased,
• the clock stops,
• the factory installed radio locks up,
• the engine management system and the one-touch-up and one­
touch -down functions of the power windows no longer work .
After you reconnect the battery, you must reset the following
features :
Inoperative because the
battery was discon­
nected:
clock
one-touch-up and one-touch­
down feature on the power
windows
engine management
seat memory*
radio station coding
Removing battery
To reset after the battery is
reconnected, see:
=> page 14
=> page 67
=> page 135
=> page 100
Sound System Operating Instruc -
tions booklet .
•
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS :::> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on page
273. ~

Alph ab eti ca l ind ex -
-------------=----
AUTO
Climate controls ...... .... ...... .. 127
Switching on .................... 127
When should I use AUTO? ......... 127
Auto Safety Hotline ................. . 175
Auto-C heck Contro l ...... .... ... .... .. 28
Au toma tic transmission ...... .... .. 30
Manua l transmission .. ...... .... .. 29
Automa tic a ir recircu lation ........... 129
Automatic belt retractor .......... .... 181
Automat ic car was h
See Washing ...... .... ... .... .... 255
Automatic headlight control ........... 73
Automatic Sh ift Lock (ASU .. ..... 145, 152
Automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission 143, 144
Ign it ion key safety lock . ...... .... . 136
Shift but tons .. ...... .... .... 148, 155
Steering wheel wit h tiptronic® . 148,155
See also mu ltit ronic™ ... .. ...... .. 149
Automat ic trans mission (6 -speed)
Automat ic Shift Lock (ASU ... .. ... . 145
Driving .. .. .. .... .... ..... .. .... 1 43
Dynamic shift program ... .... .... . 146
Fa il- safe mode . ...... .... .... .... 149
Kic k-down ... .... .... .... ... .... . 146
Manual shift program (tiptronic®) .. 147
Average speed ....................... 41
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. ...... .. 245
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
B
Battery .....
.... .... .... .... ... 285, 288
Battery location ins ide the eng ine
compartment .. ...... .... .... ... 285
Charging . ............ ........... 289
Checking battery acid level . ........ 288
Connecting .... .. ..... .... .... ... 290
Disconnecting ............ .... ... 290
Important warnings when working on the
battery ... .. .... .... .... .... ... 286
Removing the battery ... .. .... .... 290
Replacing the battery ............. 29 1
Winter operation . ................ 285
Working on the battery ............ 286
Bat tery vo ltage .. ... ... .... .... .... .. 35
Before driving ...................... 167
Blended gasoline . .... ............... 267
Body cavity sealing ...... .... .... ... . 260
Booster seats .......... .... .... ..... 218
How do I properly instal l a booster seat in
my vehicle? ... .. .... .... .... ... 218
Safety inst ructions ... .. .... .... ... 218
Brake assista nt ..... .... .... .... .... 241
Brake booster .......... ...... .... ... 240
Brake f luid
Changing the brake flu id ...... .... 284
Check ing the brake fluid leve l ...... 284
Reservoi r .... .... .... ..... .. .... . 28 4
What is the correct brake f luid level? 284
What shou ld I do if
t he brake fluid warning
l igh t comes on? ... .. .... .... .... 284 Brake system
...... .... .... .... .. 31,284
Anti -lock Brake System (ABS) ........ 21
Brake fluid ....................... 284
Brake f lu id spec ificat ions for refi ll and
replacement ..... .... .... .... ... 28 4
Brake pads ...................... 244
Warning/indicator lights ...... ...... 23
Brakes ...... .... .... .... ... .... .... 239
Adverse cond itions affec ting bra ke
performance ...... .... .... ..... 239
Break -in period ....... ........ ...... 243
Brake pads ........... .... .... ... 244
Tires .. .... ....... .... ...... ..... 243
Bu lbs .. ...... .... .... ... .... .... ... 328
C
Ca lif o rnia Pr opo sit ion 65 War ning ... .. 274
Batte ry specific . ...... .... .... .... 287
Capacities .......................... 343
Car care . .... .... ........... .... .... 254
Interior .... ... .... .... .... .... ... 261
Plastic and vinyl .... ............. . 258
Weatherstrips .... ... .. ...... .... . 259
Ca re of exterior ..... .... .... .... .... 254
Care, service and disposal Safety belt tensioner .............. 186
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment .
173
Cargo net .......................... 108
Catalytic converter ...... .... .... .... 24 4
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data