Checkin g and fillin g ---------------~-!':WIii
•
& WARN ING (co ntinued)
- Use only br ake flu id th at m eet s SAE spec ificati on J 1703 and
c onf orms to F ed eral Motor Vehi cle St and ard 11 6. Always ch ec k
w ith your a uthori zed A ud i de aler to m ake sure you are u sin g
the corre ct brake fluid . Th e co rrect typ e of br ake fluid i s also
indic ate d on the br ake fluid res ervo ir .
- The br ake fluid mu st be ne w. Heavy u se of the br ake s c an
c au se a vapor lo ck if the brake fluid i s left in the s yste m too
long. Thi s ca n seriou sly affe ct the eff iciency of the brake s as
w ell as your safety . This could resu lt in an a ccident .
0 Note
Brake fluid wi ll damage the paint of your vehicle.
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
t he special too ls required and the necessary expertise, we recom
mend that you have the brake f luid changed by your authorized Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l battery, an AGM battery. This
battery is located in the luggage compartment and must be
replaced with an origina l equipment battery. Under normal oper
ating conditions, the battery is
maintenan ce-free .
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You a re we ll advised to replace a battery that is olde r th an 5 years .
Disc onn ectin g th e batt ery t erm inal s
Some vehic le functions (power window regulators, for e xample) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the batte ry term inals are connected again. To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electrical system when abso lutely necessary for repairs.
V ehi cle s not dri ven for long period s
If you are going to le t your vehicle stand for a long t ime a nd not
drive it, you should remember there are electrica l components
which are still functioning and they will draw energy from the
battery and drain it, for examp le, the engine immob ilizer. To prevent
this, you can either charge the battery occasionally to keep it in
good working condition or you can d isconnect the negative cab le
on the battery.
W inter op era ti on
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is a lso consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particularly in city traffic or
when trave ling on ly shor t distances . Let your au thorized Audi dea ler
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
=>
page 235 . A well charged battery will not on ly prevent start ing
p rob lems when the weather is cold , but wi ll a lso last longer .
Replacing battery
The new battery must h ave the same capacity, voltage (12 volts},
amperage, construction and p lug sea ling, as the origina l battery.
Specifications are l isted on the battery hous ing. Batteries specially
developed by Audi fulfill the ma intenance, output, and safety
requirements.
When installing the battery, make sure the ignition and all electrical consumers are switched off=>
0. .,_
Vehicle care I t •
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particu larly considering the comparatively small patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all -important contact
between you, your vehic le and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regularly inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts, s lashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure including tread separation and
blowouts.
A vo iding d am age
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstac le, drive very slowly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls including grease, oi l, gaso line and brake
fluid off the tires.
Inspect the ti res regu larly for damage (cuts, cracks or b listers, etc.l .
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tir es
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota
t ion. This ensures you to be able to mount them correctly when you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
S tore tires in a vertical pos it ion if they a re not mounted on r ims, in
a horizonta l position if they are mounted on rims.
New tir es
New tires have to be broken in=>&.
The tread depth of new ti res may vary, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern.
H idd en damage
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusual vibration or the vehicle pu lls to one s ide, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immediately by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire cti ona l t ires
A unidirectional tire can be identif ied by arrows on the sidewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate . You must fo llow
t he specified directio n of rotation . This is necessary s o that these
tires can develop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance . For more information
=>
page 272.
& WARNING
New t ires o r ti re s th at a re old , worn or d am aged cann ot pro vid e
maximum cont rol and braking ability .
• New tires te nd to be slippery and mu st be bro ken in . To redu ce
the ri sk o f lo sin g co ntro l, a collis ion and serious per sonal injurie s,
dri ve w ith special care f or the fi rst 350 m ile s ( 560 km l.
• Driving w ith w orn or damaged tire s can lead to lo ss of control ,
sudd en tir e fa ilure , inc ludi ng a blowout a nd sudden defl atio n, ..,_
________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
•
& W ARNING (continu ed )
crashes and serious personal in jur ies . Have worn or da maged t ires
replaced immediately .
• Tires age even if they are not being u sed and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then w ith special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the co mbined we ig ht ( in excess o f those sta nda rd items
which may be rep laced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power w indows, powe r seats, rad io, a nd heater, to
the extent that these items are avai lab le as factory-installed equip
m ent (w hether insta lled or not).
Aspect ratio means t he ratio o f th e height to t he w idt h of the tire in perce nt.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved
steer ing respo nse and b ette r overall ha ndl ing on dry pave ment.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of stee l wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdow n of the bond be tween co mponents i n the bead.
Cord
m eans the strands fo rmi ng the plies in the ti re.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ire s may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you noti ce unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving , always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
mea ns t he ti re pressure reco mm ended by the ve hicle ma nufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been d riven for more tha n
a cou ple o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in t he t hre e ho ur per iod
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed .
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehic le with standard equipment
i nc lud ing the max imu m capac ity o f fue l, o il, and coola nt, a ir c ond i
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to ope rate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EX TRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side
wa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carrying capacity of a sing le ax le system, measured
at the ti re -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR "l
mea ns the ma ximum tot al l oade d weigh t of the vehicle.
Vehicle care
I t •
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure . You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be
in flated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see =:> page 239, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
tires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your wheel
size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam
eter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
vehicle with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends
on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
axles. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located on
the driver's side 8-pillar. The tire pressure label on your Audi lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the tire
pressure label =>
page 242, fig. 160.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
& WARNING (continued)
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control . •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
on driver's side 8-pillar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the table=>
page 242, "Cold tire inflation pressure". This means
that the pressure must be checked and adjusted when the tire has
not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at low
speeds during the previous three hours. Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal friction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has warmed up than
when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you
should never let air out of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 242. The tires would then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
inflation pressures for the new, original equipment tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured . For the location of
the label
=> page 242, fig . 160.
Most tires lose air naturally over time. They can also lose some air if
you drive over a pothole or hit a curb while parking . It is usually not
possible to see whether the radial tires used today are underinflated
just by looking at them .
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at least once a month and
always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the number of
people and the amount of luggage into account when adjusting tire .,_
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in t read separation , sudden t ire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cau se heat bu ild-up ,
sudden tire failure and lo ss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well .
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to che ck the tire pres sure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lves. To prevent this, always ma ke sure that fact ory insta lled valve
stem caps on all whee ls are securely mounted on the valve .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the fue l consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle and
any tire can carry. A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle well
and is more difficu lt to stop. Overload ing can not only lead to loss
of vehicle contro l, but can a lso damage important parts of the
veh ic le an d ca n lead to sudden t ire fa ilu re , inc lud ing a bl owout a nd
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash.
Yo ur saf ety a nd that of you r passenge rs also de pends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes every
body and eve ryt hing in and on the vehic le . Th ese load limi ts are technica
lly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
("GVWR").
Th e "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory
insta lled accessories, a ful l tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other f luids
p lus max imum load. The ma ximu m load inc ludes the numbe r of
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
w it h an assu med we ight o f 150 lbs (68 kg) for eac h pass enger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
t he vehicle.
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is the maximum load that
can be a pplied a t eac h of the vehic le's two a xles .
T he Gross Veh icle Weigh t Rat ing a nd the Gross A xle We igh t R ating
are listed on the safety comp liance stic ker label located on the
dr iver's s ide B -p illar . You r Aud i has 2 sea ting pos it io n s. Eac h seating
posit ion has a safety belt=>
page 137, "Safety belts".
T he fact that the re is a n up per lim it to yo ur vehicle's G ross Veh ic le
We ig ht Rating means that the to tal we ight o f what ev e r is be ing
ca rried in the ve hicle is lim ited. The mo re pas se ngers in the vehic le
or passe ngers w ho ar e heav ier t han th e sta ndard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as luggage.
T he ti re p ress ure labe l on yo ur Aud i al so list s the maxi mum
combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
th at the vehicle can car ry. F or the lo ca tio n of t he label =>
page 242,
fig . 160.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury , and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was des igned to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of vehi cle control .
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance. .,_
__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _ ____. 111111
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorr ect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must always have tires of the same size,
construction and tread type. For details see
=> page 191.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control, a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators .
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control .
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 164 Tire specification codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
©
0
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where app licable)
Nominal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
ii Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
Vehic le care
I I irechnical data
-Tires and wheels
P'tr:1-------------------
will not work prope rly . In this case, the tire pressure monitoring
s ys tem would n ot b e ab le to mon itor the tire p ressure or wa rn yo u
if it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
se rvice life .
• Always d rive with the valve stem caps sec urely mounted . We
recommend using factory insta lled valve stem caps . Ask your au tho
rized Audi dealer to replace lost va lve stem cap s.
The installation o f rep laceme nt tire s wi th steel cor d body p lies in
the tire sidewal l may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni
t or ing sys tem, a nd is no t re com mended (cord mater ial i nformat ion
in molded on the tire sidewa ll) .
A lw ays check your tire p ressure monito rin g s ystem i ndicator afte r
replacing o ne or mor e tir es o n you r vehi cle. If th e tire p ressu re
monito ring syste m indicat or flashes, o r is on, you r sy stem is not
wo rk in g pr oper ly. Your rep lac em ent ti re mig ht be i nco mpat ibl e wi th
your tir e pressure monitoring syst em , or som e component o f th e
tir e pr ess ure monito ring syste m may be da mag ed.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always use tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been spe cifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehi cle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehi cle control.
& WARNING (continued)
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for e xample with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faste r than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tires cause heat build-up , sudden tire failure ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control .
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For te chnical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked. Redu ced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the fa ctory . The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires and a factory -installed tire pressure monitoring
system that indi cate s a loss of tire pressure . Incorre ct use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer o r tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat tires are used, they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted. .,