___ C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d __ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial fumes, corrosive road salt,
muddy dog feet, etc . A well cared for Audi can look like new many
years a fter purchase. Regu lar a nd correct ca re will co ntribu te to
maintaining the beauty and value of your Audi.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
war ranty claim should co rros ion damage or paint defect s occur .
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of dedicated vehicle- care
product s
and can adv ise whic h ones to use for clea ning the e xter ior
and interior of your vehicle.
Whethe r you use p roducts recommended by Audi or other c ommer
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please make sure you apply them
correctly.
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep them out of the reach
of ch ildren .
• Heed all caution label s.
• Always read directions on the contai ner before using any
product. Follow the di rection s carefully .
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
d iluted.
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated area s.
• Do not use gasoline , kerosene , die sel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic , flammable or hazardous
in other way s. Do not wash , wa x or dry the vehicle w ith the igni
tion on or the engine running.
& WARNING (continued )
• Do not clean the under side s of chassis , fenders , wheel cove rs,
etc . without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself
on sharp -edg ed metal parts .
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking effi ciency
=> page 272 , "General info rmation ". Test the brake s carefully each
time you wa sh the vehicle.
~ For the sake of the environment
Se lect only enviro nmenta lly friend ly c leaning products . Leftover
clean ing products should not disposed of in the household waste. •
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequen t washing pro tects the vehi cle.
Th e bes t protection against envi ronmental influences is frequent
washing and waxing . How often this is required depends on:
• Ho w much the vehic le is used
• Where the vehic le is parked (garage, in the open under trees,
etc.)
• T he seasonal and weather conditions
• Environmenta l influences
T he longer bird droppings, insects, tree resin, road and industrial
gri me, tar, soot, road salt and ot her materials rema in on the ve hicle
body, the more lasting their destruc tive effects will be . High temper
atu res caused by exp osu re to in tense s un ligh t inte nsify the c orro -
sive effect, particularly when humidity is high as well.
~
., __ C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d __ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the
rema ining detergen t. App ly the wa ter w ith a damp cloth or sponge
and pat the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry c loth.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have detergent paste (e.g .
ox -ga ll soap) rubbed into them. A fterwards, remove the soap w it h
water (damp sponge).
A lcoh ol can be us ed t o t rea t sta ins fro m grease, oil, lipstick o r a ba ll
point pen. Melted grease or dye must be patted off using absorbent
ma te ri al. It may be neces sary to retreat the a reas w ith de tergent
paste and water .
In the case of genera l soiling of the upho lstery and cover material,
we recommend h ir ing a specialis t that has the equ ip m ent to c lea n
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by shampooing and spray
e xt rac tion.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
~ page 290 .
[ i] Tips
Open Ve lcro fasteners on your clothing can damage the seat cover.
Please make sure that Velcro fas tene rs a re c losed .•
Plastic parts and instrument panel
A lways use a clean cloth mo iste ned in cl ear wa ter to clean these
areas . For persistent dirt use an Audi approved
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/ protectant.
in. WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of some plastics and make it
harder for the airbag to deploy.
& WARNING (continued )
• Never clean the instrument panel or the surface of airbag
modules with cleaning products that contain solvents .
• Products containing solvents will make the surface of this part
porou s.
• Serious injuries can result if plastic parts come loose when the
airbag is deployed .
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 290.
0 Note
Cleaning agents containing so lvents wil l attack the material and can
c hange t he way it behave s.•
App lies to vehicles: with natu ra l l eathe r
Natural leather
Aud i mak es gr eat effo rts to main ta in the p roperties ,
n atu ra l look an d fee l of interior le athe r.
General
We offe r ma ny diff erent typ es of leather on our v ehicles . M ost ar e
different types of nappa leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in va rious co lors .
T he intens ity o f the color de termi nes t he visua l character ist ics a nd
appearance. If the surface of the leather has a typica l natural look,
th en the leathe r is a nappa leather t hat has bee n l eft in a re lat ive ly
natural condition. This leather offers particu lar ly good comfort and
b reathes well. Fi ne vei ns, closed g ra ins, ins ect bit es, ski n folds, a nd
subt le variations in color remain visib le. These character istics
dem onstrate tha t the mate rial is natural.
Natura l nappa leather is not covered by a color finis h. It is therefo re
more sens itive to so iling and wea r, which is something you need to ...
-Checking and filling ------=-------------------
to help keep your vehicle's engine running smoothly and help
prevent the formation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U.S. and Canada
that meet the exacting specificat ions of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every
synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So
always be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oi l with
the following specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in combi
nation with other designations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oi ls are graded according to their viscosity . The proper
viscosity grade oil for your engine depends on climactic or seasonal
conditions where you drive. You can use oil with a v iscosity grade of
SAE 5W40 across all temperature ranges for normal driving condi
tions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE 5W40 is not available, you
can also use viscosity grade SAE 5W-30 or SAE 0W -40 as long as it
meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00 specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil standard may not be
available everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart Oiterl of oil that express ly conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have
to top off the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the minimum mark on the
oil dipstick -and no oil that expressly conforms to Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 specifications is available -may you top off with a high
quality engine oi l, preferably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA A5 or ACEA B5, API SL or ILSAC GF-3 specifications, but even
then, only in viscosity grades SAE 5W -40, SAE 5W -30, or SAE 0W -40 .
However, during the entire time between oil change intervals, never top
off with more than a total of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
conform to Audi oil specification VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that has been approved for
your vehicle, please contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web s ite at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca. Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc .) that conform
to Audi oil standard VW 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the
mileage (kilometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle 's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine perfor
mance and can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating properties of oi l decrease gradua lly during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your authorized Audi Service Advisor .
Under some circumstances the eng ine oil should even be changed
more frequently . Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop
and -go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for long 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 .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended interva ls
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to failure to follow recommended
maintenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Your dea ler wi ll have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
~
Checkin g and fillin g -
--------------~-
•
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a time ly manner .•
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool ing of internal
engine components, all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break -in period (see~
page 279) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume after oi l
consumption has stabi lized .
Unde r normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions . Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the o il. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump
tio n may increase over time unt il rep lacement of worn components
may become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consu mption can be estab lished or specified. There is no a lternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see Note .
If the yellow engi ne oil level warning symbol in the instrume nt
cluster lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
poss ible
with the oil dipstick~ page 313 . Top off the oil at your
earliest convenience~
page 314.
& WARNING
Before you che ck anything in the eng ine comp artment , alw ay s
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 309 .
0 Note
Driving with an insufficie nt o il level is l ikely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i ] Tip s
• The oil pressure warning displ ay ce,. is not an indi cat or of the oil
level . Do not rely on it. Instead , check the oil level in your engine at
regular interv als , prefe rably ea ch time you refuel , and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amoun ts of oi l, we recommend tha t you consult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed . Keep in mind
that the accurate measureme nt of oil consumption requires great
care and may take some time. Your Audi dealer has instructions
about how to measure oil consumption accurately. •
Checking the engine oil level
Vehicle care I t •
Fig. 2 65 Illu stra tion of
pri nciple 1 : Mar ker s on
oi l d ips tick ...
Checking and filling -
------------------------------------------- -=----- =------
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coolant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system,
remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and cou ld result
in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig . 269 Engine
compartment : Coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 309.
Turn off the ignition .
Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expan
sion tank==> fig. 269. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
" max" marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment illustration=>
page 310.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off .
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto
Check System =>
page 31 will blink until you add coolant and the
level has been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric
coolant level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event
of coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immedi
ately by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely to add
coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant
by following these steps. ~
Vehic le care I I Technical data
-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_n ...:::g::;...._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in -'g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (c o ntinued )
• Turn off the engine and all ow it to c ool down .
• Protect your f ace, hand s and arms from e scaping flu id and
s te am by covering the cap w ith a large , thick rag .
• Turn the cap slowly a nd ve ry ca re fu lly
in a c ounter -clockw ise
dire ction while applying light , downward pres sure on the top of
the cap.
• To avoid being burned , do not spill antifree ze or coolant on the
e x hau st sy stem or hot eng ine parts . U nde r certain conditions , the
ethylene glycol in engine coolant can cat ch fire .
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealan t to your vehic le's engine
coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the func
tio n and performance of your coo ling system and could resu lt in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
[ i J Tips
On vehicles with the 12 -cylinder engine, the expansion tank is
located under a cover .•
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check a nything in the e ngine compartment,
alway s read and heed all WARNINGS=:> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 309.
Turn off the engine.
Let the engine coo l down. -
Pla ce a t hick rag over t he co ola nt expansio n tank
=:> page 317, fig . 269 and carefully tw ist the cap cou nter
clockw ise
=:> & .
- Add cool ant.
Twist the cap on again
tightly .
Replacement engine coolant mus t conform to exact specifications
=> page 316, "Coolan t". Even in an emergency, if coolant additive
G 12+ +, G12 + or G12 is not availab le, do
not use a different additive.
Use plain water instead until you can get the correct additive and
can restore the correct ratio . This should be done as soon as
possible.
I f you have lost a cons iderable amount of coolant, then you should
add cold antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold .
A lways use
new engine coolant when refil ling .
Do not fi ll coo lant above the "MAX" mark . Excess coolant wil l be
f orced out through the p ressure relief valve in the cap when the
eng ine becomes hot.
& WARNING
• The cooling system i s under pre ssure and can g et very hot .
Redu ce th e risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these
s tep s.
- Turn off the e ngine a nd allo w it t o cool down .
- Protect your fac e, hand s and arms from e sc a ping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thi ck rag .
- Turn the cap slo w ly and very caref ully in a counter -clockwi se
dire ction while applying light , downward pres sure on the top
of the cap .
- To avoid being burned , do not sp ill antifreeze or cool ant on
the e xhau st sy stem o r hot e ngine part s. Under ce rtain condi -
tions , the ethylene glycol in engine cool ant can catch fire. _.,,
-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_n ...:::g::;...._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in -'g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
-Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
=> fig. 270. The brake fluid level must be between the
"MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the left side~ page 310.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto
matic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S. models:
BRAKE , Canadian models:
«D> l will come on~ page 22 and~ page 30. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thor
oughly checked by an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified
facility and the cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator light will illuminate. Contact an authorized
Audi dealer
immediately. •
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced techni
cian.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the water content in the
brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid will also
decrease considerably and decrease braking performance.
Th erefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Stan
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho
rized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fluid and the know-how to do this for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid .
Observe these precautions:
-Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also
indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- 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.
~ 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 or long
daily drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level .,_
Tires and wheels -________________ w-.
•
pressure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the vehicle
at maximum load , you must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
=> &.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehicle .
The effec tiveness of the tire pressure mon itoring system* will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load=>&. See the
illustration=>
page 330, fig. 274 for the location of the label
either o n driver's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slight ly).
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change. In the event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on
the driver's side 8-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label
is located either on the driver 's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel fil ler
flap) always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi mode l covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehicle's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec
tive models as original equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine
(displace
ment in
liter) Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
8-cylinder
4.2
8-cylinder
4 .2 L 255/45 R18 99H All Season
255/40 R19100V
XL All Season
255/40 R19
1 00Y XL High Performance
275/35 R20 102Y XL High Performance
255/45 R18 99H All Season
255/40 R19 100V XL All Season
255/40 R19 1 00Y XL High Performance
275/35 R20 102Y XL High Performance
normal load conditional
kPA
33 230
36 250
33 230
38 260 33 230
36 250
33 230
38 260
full load
condit ion
PSI
33 230
38 260
33 230
41 280
35 240
38 260
35 240
41 280
Vehicle care
normal load full load
conditional condition
kPA PSI kPA
30
210
33 230
33 230 36 250
30 210 33 230
35 240
44 300
30 210 33 230
33 230 36 250
30 210
33 230
35 240 44 300
I t •